Adreana was hesitant at first to show Draco and the Legionnaires her metal wing, but now she flew with it gratefully, relieved to open her wings again. She was surprised it wasn't worn out after years of being unused.

She dove downwards, hearing the whistle of the wind ruffling feathers behind her, and swooped in on the wagon. She landed on the roof with a soft thunk, balancing on one knee and taking a short moment to retract her wings. Draco followed, doing the same as he held on to the wooden roof to stay on the moving wagon.

The wagon continued rolling over the road and towards the gate where Legionnaires were waiting. She quickly estimated how long it would take to get near enough so the Legionnaires could see them. In one or two minutes, they would be spotted.

"Hide," she whispered, and climbed to the back of the wagon, unlatching a small window to crawl inside.

It was cramped inside of the wagon; wooden crates smelling like liquor packed the back. She carefully lifted some of the crates and slid under them. Her back was pressed against the rattling floor and all she could smell was wine and cedar. Looking up, she saw Draco tucking himself into the corner of the wagon, piling up the crates to hide him. It wasn't the best hiding spot, but they were almost there and he had no choice.

"Halt!" A Legionnaire shouted, his voice muffled from under the crates. The wagon stopped moving immediately. "Your business?"

"I'm delivering wine to the town of Maiore," she heard the driver say. "I'm planning to sell it to the restaurants there."

"Hmm..." Metal shifted loudly. She watched the window through a small hole in the wood and saw the Legionnaire walk up to the window they came in through. "I will do a quick check on your goods."

"Go ahead," the driver said, even though he knew the Legionnaire would examine without his permission. The glass window opened and she held her breath, making herself as still as possible. An armored hand began to rummage through the crates in random areas, moving a few that were on top of her but not touching any near Draco. 

Just when she thought they were safe, the Legionnaire hesitated and peered at the pile of crates Draco was in, looking closely. He reached to pull a crate out of the way which would reveal Draco's face.

Her chest tightened and she clenched her jaw out of nervousness. Did he see him? We're they going to be caught before they could even make it out of the city? The Legionnaire leaned through the window and stared at the pile of crates before shaking his head and leaving.

"Find anything?" The driver asked, sounding mildly annoyed.

"Nothing," he replied. "Safe travels."

The driver flicked his reins and the horses started clattering forward, bringing them away from the confining walls of the kingdom.

She exhaled, relieved, and pushed some of the crates away. Standing with bent knees for balance in the rattling wagon, she peered out of one of the cracks in the wood. The beautiful, emerald leaves on the trees shimmered and differently colored flowers dotted the branches. It was such a relief to see something other than stone walls and sand.

She heard the loud neighing of the horses and the driver screaming something.

"Hey!" The driver called. "Lady! Get out of the way!"

She quickly opened the window and slid out, despite hearing Draco hissing warnings at her like an angered snake. 

"What are you doing?!" He said, but she quietly walked over to the front.

An elderly woman stood in front of the horses like a deer caught in the headlights. She blinked at the wagon in front of her as if she couldn't quite understand what was happening.

"Move--!" She sprinted forward and grabbed the woman by her waist gently, flying upwards. 

The horses neighed even louder and reared up, making the driver shout. 

"Demon!" He screamed. "DEMON!"

She flew higher and saw Draco running into the woods, she swooped down into the trees and landed, setting her down. 

"Malia," Adreana said quietly. "What are you doing so far from Maiore?"

"Looking for you, of course," Malia replied. "Maiore may be far from here, but my cottage is not."

"Wait, Adreana," Draco took her arm. "You know her?"

"She's the herbalist I told you about," she explained. 

They said nothing as they followed Malia deeper into the forest, weapons at the ready. There was no doubt that the Legionnaires or even demons were already on their trail. Thankfully, the thick forest would conceal them well. 

They reached a cottage with white-painted walls and a short, cone-shaped roof. Ivy crawled up the walls and she could smell the sharp, bittersweet scent of herbs from there. A large oak tree grew in a bent way over the cottage, its branches spreading above it like a canopy.

Malia welcomed them into her home, opening the door to let them in. 

"Ladies first," Draco said, scanning the cottage with a strange look on his face.

She stepped into the small cottage and sucked in a quick breath. 

There were so many snakes.

Lime green, inky black, dark blue, fiery red, bright yellow...even a dark purple one coiling around a stool in the corner. They slithered across the walls and the hollow roof above them. 

"Fond of snakes?" She started towards the center of the room, the place farthest away from the sleek reptiles.

"Their venom proves to be useful in many of my remedies," Malia replied, pouring a steaming green liquid into tiny, blue cups. 

Draco was unnaturally quiet as he sat down at a circle-shaped table. The herbalist set the two cups on the table and drank hers quickly. 

Adreana brought the cup to her lips and smelled the warm steam rising up to her face. It smelled like something oddly familiar, but she couldn't remember what it was.

She took a cautious sip out of her cup, feeling a little wary of the elderly herbalist and her snakes. She thought she could trust her, but something about the snakes made her shiver. Draco stared at the tea as if trying to find something, but drank it anyway. The purple one climbed up her and rested on her neck, staring at Adreana with lifeless, black eyes.

"You came here for a remedy?" Malia asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes," Adreana said, setting down her cup. "One for hallucinations and dark magic. You have one, right?"

"I believe so," she rummaged through a group of glass bottles that clinked together like wind chimes. "You're starting your quest already?"

Adreana froze. "How did you know?"

"I have my own ways," the herbalist said dismissively. The snakes crept closer, making her uneasy. Their hisses grew louder and she swore she heard one particularly loud hiss.

"Miss," Draco stood up from his chair. "I think we have to be somewhere else."

"Dear, please stay," Malia said sweetly, handing him a glass bottle. "Here's your medicine. Make sure you take it once every day."

He snatched the bottle and tucked it in a stolen pack from the wagon. "We should really get going. Our journey is long, and--"

"You will not leave."

"And that's our cue," Adreana said, knowing something horrible would happen. They lunged for the door, but it was already blocked by twisting, angry snakes.

Draco took out his sword and began slashing across the door with no aim; making the snakes writhe and retreat. 

A furious and loud hiss sounded from behind them. She whirled around, daggers raised and saw two pairs of glowing yellow eyes and slitted pupils in the darkness that spread through the room. Malia was gone. Something purple streaked forward, and she drove her blade into it. Darkness swirled, cloaking the beast so it was impossible to tell what it was.

The point of her dagger glanced off, only leaving a scratch as the monster opened its wide jaws and scraped something sharp across her side. She gritted her teeth from the burning liquid that soaked into her skin and backed up. There was no point in fighting whatever this was if its skin protected it from their weapons. The best they could do was run. 

She grabbed the handle of the door and swung it open, her wound screaming from the liquid. Without another look, she bolted out of the cottage, ignoring the painful sting with each step she took.

"We can escape by flying!" She shouted to him, and he tried to open his wings but shook his head.

"There was something weird in the tea. We won't be able to fly for a while," Draco said as they ran through the forest with the beast slithering across the forest floor behind them. 

"How about the trees?" He suggested.

"It will just climb up the tree," she said. 

She found it harder and harder to breathe. Black spots began to invade her vision and her steps became sluggish. The poison was spreading quickly, searing into her veins like fire.

They stopped at a dead end, a large mess of boulders blocking their way out.

"I'll hoist you up," she said immediately, cupping her hands so he could step.

"Are you crazy? Stop trying to be the hero," he scoffed.

A loud hiss sounded behind her and they both turned in unison, facing the monster that was now visible in the sunlight.

Draco stared at it, eyes wide, mouth open.

"What the hell is that?!"