Previously...

Hiram shifted into a full snake within seconds in front of them and jeered, "Finally!"

"No!" Kyrah shrieked, rushing forward.

"How could you do this to us?" Marsel's wobbly voice clearly showed his nonplussed state.

"This is no time for drama." Hiram scoffed and scooted closer to Kyrah. He glanced at the gem which was curled in her tail. His eyes gleamed dangerously and his lips drew apart in a crooked grin.

Kyrah followed his gaze and understood his motive. His guard was down as he was busy gawking at the shimmering gem. Seeing this as an advantage, she pushed him away easily.

She quickly uncurled her tail so that the gem floated a tad bit above the ground.

"Precious gem, don't let anyone touch you except me," she murmured. At once, a circle formed around the Naag Mani under her command.

A tintamarre followed, which made Kyrah turn abruptly. She was horrified to find her father curled in a corner, blood oozing out from a large gash on his stomach.

"You coward! You knew that he can't shift, yet you attacked him!" Lilah wailed, kneeling down beside her wounded husband.

"Mother!" Kyrah bellowed, but couldn't warn her in time.

A blow to Lilah's head rendered her dizzy, stars forming in her vision. She looked up at him with blazing green eyes and started shifting with difficulty. Jeanette's bite on her shin, the journey back to the palace and weakness had zeroed down her strength. Hiram cackled seeing Lilah's state, which made Kyrah furious.

"Let's end this fight, uncle," Kyrah's unusually calm voice reverberated in the silent atmosphere.

"Is the little Princess scared to fight?" Hiram jeered, ignoring her oenomel thought.

"I don't want bloodshed. Don't you see? Families shouldn't fight."

"Oh really? Then hand over the gem to me, beloved niece." Hiram sneered, speaking the word 'niece' with disgust.

"Never! I won't let you misuse its--"

An attack on her side prevented her from completing her sentence. Hiram twirled his sword-like tail and spoke insouciantly, "You shouldn't let your guard down."

"Remember this, beloved niece, you will never be able to defeat me!" his voice showed his overweened state of mind.

A stinging pain shot out from Kyrah's wound, her high-pitched howls pierced through the stone walls and they seemed to tremble.

***

After roaming mindlessly in his search for Kyrah, Zuber halted his walk along with Jeanette.

"What's wrong?" Jeanette asked, a puzzled look donned on her pale face.

"Kyrah... I think she is in danger... I can feel her pain. I don't know what happened to her," Zuber's voice showed his aghast state.

"We have to find her soon. Let's go this way."

***

Hiram's words echoed in Kyrah's mind and she glared at him with pure odium and spoke through gritted teeth, "You're forgetting the legend, uncle."

"I never cared for old wives' tales." Hiram scoffed.

"Yet you are in dire need of the Naag Mani," she mocked sarcastically.

Hiram's green eyes blazed further with anger and he plunged his tail in her already wounded scales.

"I will not entertain any of your malapert behavior," he raged, pressing his tail further with each word.

Kyrah screamed in agony and attempted to push him away weakly.

Lilah, who now shifted completely rushed near them as soon as she could. She pushed Kyrah to the side and took the blow upon herself.

A violent fight issued between Lilah and Hiram. Blow after blow was delivered, attacks dodged and blood dripped from their wounds.

Kyrah glided towards her father and shook him desperately.

"Father, please wake up... please." She sobbed, her tears glistened like pearls and fell like rain.

"Kyrah?" Marsel's feeble voice whispered a minute later.

"Father, you have to help me. He's too strong. There is nothing I can do," Kyrah informed desperately. "I can't let him have the gem."

"Don't cry, my child," Marsel consoled. "I have a stone which will provide you strength." 

Marsel searched for the stone in his pockets, the gash on his stomach causing immense discomfort with each movement.

What puzzled him was that he felt much better than before. Finally, he fished out a tiny emerald stone from his pocket.

"Touch it once and it will provide you strength."

Before he could hand it over to Kyrah, a scream cut through and their eyes snapped to the source.

A fissure formed in Lilah's scales, her burgundy colored blood flowed freely like a fountain. She gasped weakly and fell down on the floor in her human form. Her eyes were shut and she looked unconscious.

"No!" Kyrah and Marsel screamed in a thick voice. Hiram took this distraction to his advantage and rushed towards them like lightening. He snatched the stone from Marsel's hand and chuckled darkly.

Without any warning, he wrapped his tail around Marsel and flung him to the other side near Lilah.

"Keep your wife company, brother." He guffawed.

Kyrah's eyes saw red and she charged towards Hiram, her tail ending turning into a sharp sword. She lashed out at him berserkly, the sight of his blood sickening her. His wounds healed, leaving no room for injuries.

"The stone gives strength, little Princess," Hiram spoke in a singsong voice.

"Who is going to save you now?"

"That would be me," Zuber's disembodied voice reached the hall. He and Jeanette came into view a second later, rage clearly writ on their faces.

"Don't make me laugh," Hiram spoke roughly.

"Leave her alone," Zuber warned sternly, casting a sorrowful look towards Kyrah's injury.

"Or what? Will you be able to defeat me in your human form?" Hiram jeered.

"If that's what it takes," Zuber and Jeanette spoke determinedly.

"Bring it on, losers," Hiram scoffed arrogantly.

Jeanette shifted into her black snake form and lunged towards Hiram, wounding him with a small cut. She like Lilah was de-energized but continued to fight bravely.

Zuber grabbed the emerald stone from the floor and felt a surge of energy pass through him. He quickly passed it to Kyrah who curled it in her glimmering brown tail. With the stone's effect, she was able to fend her wounds to a small extent.

"Guard the Naag Mani," Zuber said, eyeing Kyrah grimly.

He ran towards Hiram and Jeanette who were battling nonstop with each other.

Their pantagruelian forms inflicted a sense of fear in him. They were huge, their tails were longer than eight feet, he could tell. Still, he mustered up courage and sneaked in between them inconspicuously.

He stepped hard on Hiram's golden-brown tail, which just made him ticklish. He flicked his tail and Zuber landed near Kyrah's side, with his arm twisted at a dangerous angle.

"Zuber!"

"Kyrah, pass me the Naag Mani," he whispered inaudibly.

She quickly clutched the gem in her tail and placed it in his palm.

"Turn me into a serpent," Zuber wished urgently.

"Zuber, you're a human. How can you shift?"

"If Jeanette can shift, so can I. But why isn't this working?"

"I told you--"

A deafening scream erupted from Zuber's pink lips and he fell on his knees with his arms wrapped around himself. He went kerflooey a minute later and his functioning seemed to freeze.

Hi, everyone! How are you all? ❤💙 I know it's late and I am updating today after eight long days. Life is too hectic nowadays for me, as I'm busy preparing my student for her final exam.

So, back to this chapter. What do you think of the fighting scenes? Are they good or bad? Can you feel the action? I'm not so good at writing them as I don't have much idea about this kind of scenes. But, I tried my best. Comment in and let me know! I would love to have your feedback.

What do you think is wrong with Zuber? He wished to be a serpent and now is frozen and cannot move or function. Do comment in your thoughts.

Like this chapter? Please make me happy by clicking the 🌟 icon below. Thanks! It just takes a teeny tiny second to vote, but it will make my day. Bye, everyone! Have a nice day! Keep smiling! 😄💕

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