Chapter 7- Lamia

So they venture up to the mountain, their silhouettes covering the smooth horizontal peak in the distance; their backs of hills flutter across the valley clumped with icy pine. Both marvel at its beauty as they keep on walking up, fearing what lies ahead. A thirst for adventure and charm awakened in her heart and flowed out into the tips of her toes, compelling Anna to want to run straight into the embrace of the proud mountains. The air was chilling, but they went on and on while the skies darkened.

The acoustic landscape was at once familiar to her. However, they continued moving up. She was tired as hell, weary with the burden of long-closed eyes, yet she could have easily pulled off being a walking zombie, dead on the inside but subconsciously awake.

Nevertheless, when they reached the peak, both were speechless, as they stood atop the rocky surface and lifted their arms in accomplishment. Clouds swirled around Anna in an icy greeting, and snow coated the mountaintop. Even with the darkened skies, it was clear enough to bathe in the beauty of nature. Her eyes began to water as the wind whipped her hair across her face. When she looked down at the dizzying drop, nothing met her eye but polished clouds, concealing the glory of their landscape below. She settled down slowly, and they both heard the air-splitting sounds of a creature waking up from hibernation. 

"What was that?" Harry asked her in a panicked voice.

"I've never seen one before, but my friends, the fairies, once told me that there was a medallion keeper here in the White Mountains, a creature of the night. A Lamia." Anna answered.

Mr. Camilton responded, eyes rattling back and forth in a perfunctory scan for the creature, eyes opened wide as he stared off into the distance. 

"Later, I'll explain it later," Anna replied. Which was senseless if the only sensation she heard was that of the creature. She allowed her eyes to roam along the small, icy hills and canyons, following snowy creek beds and bare trees. Her eyes sketched the line of the horizon and paused on the broad mountains towering above it as she surveyed the possible battlefield that she hoped was on their side.

"Okay, fine! What is Lamia?" When Harry asked.

The Fairy said that the Lamia was a creature, once a child-eating monster, that in later centuries was regarded as a type of night-haunting demon.

From their view, the creature looks like a dark, scaly half-snake, half-woman. It has scaly arms and fiery red eyes. The Lamia has been ascribed serpentine qualities. In ancient legend, Lamia was a woman of fantastic beauty until a god cursed her. Her once-glamorous visage was twisted into horrific ugliness to fit her newfound craving for children's blood, but she more or less kept a human form. She was, however, renowned for wearing a skirt of snakeskin that covered her legs. It has a foul odour coming from its mouth and has been pointed out as a possible common keeper of the medallion keeper.

"Mr. Hamilton there! Look!" She was beyond scared now, pointing at the creature with a look of disdain. She knew of no way to regulate her actions other than to be rational.

The creature has returned from its hibernation, and it has a sensation in its numbed body. It was like a thousand spikes poking beneath its scales. Its eyelids were crusted and heavy, and the palate of its mouth chafed like sand against its tongue. It took a tentative sniff. A scent alerted them to the fact that the story smelled like humans. It groans, tapping its claw against the chilly floor while trying to stand up.

Suddenly, it attacked Anna faster than the frigid wind, then it bit into her arm! She thrashed around, attempting to break its grasp. A hot, burning, and unbearable throb radiates from the spot on her right upper arm as its teeth are in.

She could almost feel the blood pooling out as Lamia took it in a mouthful. She wiggled her fingers and lifted them down as she heard its demonic moan.

She was too preoccupied with clasping her arms to notice. The Lamia halted and unleashed its teeth, far from Anna's bleeding arm. The creature strokes its disgusting right scaly hand across Anna's arm in amazement. "I will enjoy draining your blood, little one, watching it drain the life out of you." The Lamia warns her while stroking its face.

When Anna breathed in again, a pointed claw of Lamia was pointed at her neck, and Harry was gone. Her palms were sweaty and the adrenaline flowing through her system was closing down her ability to think logically. Either way, she wanted to run or beat the living daylights out of the Lamia. Either would do. Yet her tension grew in her face and limbs, her mind replaying the medallion in her dream. Then, unexpectedly, her breathing became hastier, more trivial. In these moments before the hurricane, her thoughts were accelerating inside her head. She wanted them to slow so she could inhale and exhale, but she couldn't. Her breaths came in gasps, and she felt like she would lose consciousness any second from now. Eventually, she turned around on the spot before Lamia could cut her neck. At that moment, the Lamia suddenly swerved its hands as hard as it could, maybe severing her in one hit. However, she moved away quickly like the wind. The moment its pointy nail hit Anna's neck, she was already behind the Lamia. It turned around as the look of surprise was clear in its eyes, and walked nearer as it touched her arm. Anna smelt its rancid breath. It smells like a deadly chemical. However, the creature continued to rub its face and sneered at her, yet its words, "I will kill you, little one," penetrated something deep within Anna, and suddenly, she could feel her fire snap inside. Her head buzzed and her eyes darkened.

"What the fuck!" She felt something so familiar, but she couldn't put a finger on it. And she doesn't know if it's instinctive or just the firefight reflex kicking in since running wasn't an option. Yet, Anna didn't wait for it too much longer. 

Taking advantage of its momentary distraction, she yanks its wrist mid-stroke as hard as she can, drawing it into her mouth and biting down on the spot she believes its vein is located.

Anna's teeth roughly piece its scaly skin, and warm blood flows into her mouth. Lamia gapes at her. surprised by her unexpected action. Shockingly, there was something else that surprised her, and that was the taste of Lamia's blood. It was bitter-rich-minty and at the same time hot-fiery while being smooth and thick like honey. 

She'd sampled her blood several times as she bit the insides of her cheeks from chewing too hard, but all she got was a metallic iron taste, never spicy and sweet.

And as she drank its blood, something happened to her: she felt like she was on fire, the heat coursing through her veins; her vision blurred, and she seemed too hot, her strength folding a hundred times over.

Anna's eyes were more vicious than a deer caught in a trap. Yet, there was something else about her that made her shiver. Its eyes were a kind of green that spoke to Lamia's soul, like fresh wands of grass and new buds yet devouring its life. Her eyes were that bright golden color, bold, beautiful, and deadly at the same time. And at that moment, Lamia was lost; its soul was hers as Anna sank her teeth deeper and unknowingly drank her blood. The smell and taste had taken over as Anna's primary senses emerged. She no longer cared what she looked like; it was the nectar's essence that mattered. She clasped the Lamia's arm and held her breath, and so did the whole world as they all waited for what the taste could be again. The moment she did, all was forgotten. She was in heat, so much heat that she could taste the Lamia, taste its soul, its very secret, and its very memories. The nectar coming from Lamia's veins was as sweet as sin, delicious to a fault, and Anna got all the life of Lamia, although she didn't want to.

The creature was shocked, seeing that the wound on the human's arm could be seen to be closing on its own. It bit her earlier, and the burning cooled to a dull ache. The remaining blood on Anna's arm was glowing bright, so bright that she wanted to close her eyes, but she dared not! Anna felt the power within her blossom faster.

The fire, the anger, the pain, the sadness, and the darkness inside her light up. And suddenly, she felt reborn.

Harry, however, was still frightened in the distance and was beyond surprised but battled with his demons. He battled with his hallucinations. He was hiding in the snowy rocky area, trying not to come into contact with the creature. A moment passed, maybe more, and the only thought that kept battering through his brain was, "No!" He has to help her. But out of shock, his mind wouldn't even let his feet run towards Anna.

The Lamia snaps out of its stupor and snatches its wrist from Anna's mouth. In that second, it backhands Anna across her face. Annas' head was whipped to the side and the smack echoed around them. A little blood flies from her lips from the split the creature just gave her. 

But she didn't feel any pain at all. Instead, she roars. Lamia kicked her in the belly. Then he jumps off her with the grace of a dancer and lands another kick to Anna's gut. 

Anna clenched over in surprise, grasping her stomach, willing it to stop as it felt like a pat. It surprised her even more. 

The Lamia stepped back, stunned, as Anna didn't struggle back. Lamia's face was red with suppressed fury, and that was the breaking point of its patience. At that time, a serving of anger that tasted bitter blinded it yet satisfied its dark soul. Unexpectedly, Anna slams Lamia to the ground, gnashing her teeth at it. Anna trudges on towards the creature. Now she realizes that it was a half-woman, half-snake, as its hidden face earlier was evident to her now. It stepped back, agitated, and a look of shock was clear in its eyes. The creature looked alarmed at that moment. However, she reached down with both her trembling hands and pushed it as hard as she could. The creature stumbled, and the pain was obvious on its face as Anna reached down, gripping it by the throat and holding it in midair.

Again, Anna would have been amazed by her surprise strength if she wasn't in mid-air as well. Then they both dropped to the ground. Yet, Anna felt the darkness blurring her eyes.

The creature spoke in a trembling voice. It looked at her and stiffened. "Forgive me, daughter of the Moon, for I was mistaken. I will eternally be your guardian." When remorse wracks the creature, it will do anything to make amends. That's when the creatures find it and tell Anna it was regretful. It could be more, it could be better, and it could even get in Anna's way if she demands it. It was bound to Anna.

Yet, Anna was having difficulty understanding its words as the blackness crept around the edge of her vision. She took huge mouthfuls of air into her lungs while Harry ran towards her. He was finished battling his demons.

The creature then slowly said. Spare me. I will give you the medallion and I will serve you. The creature adds hope. Giving her the ancient medallion, just like in her dream, the medallion was archaic-looking, yet it gave her a sense of connection.

She took it and put it on her neck, but it suddenly disappeared. "Don't worry, the medallion will appear on your neck again when you need it," Lamia spoke.

Anna leans up a little to her right as Harry holds her trembling body. She then looks into the creature's teary eyes. Anna checked the punctures on its arm, touching them. She then commands it to close, and it closes. 

Impossible. Anna pondered. How in the world did that happen? There was something in her propelling her to touch it as the image flashed back to her biting the creature and drinking its blood, then she shook it off in desperation to live. She cringed at that vision.

"You have bound me, daughter of the Moon." In a weak voice, the Lamia said, "... just call my name whenever you are in danger; my name is Lamia De Uno, the keeper of the first medallion." 

Anna stared at it in awe. She couldn't even fathom it. The creature was gone, vanished without a single sound. She glanced up at Mr. Camilton, standing and keeping most of her weight off her ankle. It's time to get out of here before she passes out. Once on her feet, she felt it. Her heart thumps hard on her chest. The pain is unnatural, almost otherworldly, bringing her to her knees.

“Are you okay?” Harry asked.

"Yes. But do you even know how to get out?” Anna asked, "Do you know how to wake up in the human world? "

"No!" He answered, but he looked confused. His confusion was simply anxiety in a different cloak. It was when his brain defocused in an attempt to allow the shocking event through. "You mean to return to the world of the living, right?"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Okay, just imagine you were in your bed, in your room, visualize something familiar, then close your mind. You'll be there, Mr. Hamilton. I couldn't hold it any longer. I'm drained. I need to go back. " Gathering the courage to speak up. Already the adrenaline was coursing unrestrained, enticing her to do what she couldn't.

Anna felt a jolt of painful and powerful electricity running through her feet, moving upwards into her abdomen and aiming through her heart. Ahh, it hurts. Stop doing it! It hurts. I can't take this anymore! " She cried out. She didn't know where that pain came from, but it was there. She could not shake off the anguish. She tried to crouch, but nothing happened. She doesn't know if she can withstand the pain. 

"I'm sorry, Miss Brown, I couldn't help you sooner." He knew he was so confused, yet it was when his fear scattered his thoughts that promoted the likelihood of a subconscious solution finding its way through his survival advantage.

The odd thing was that there was a familiarity to it that he couldn't shake; it wasn't a memory per se, but echoes that called to his reasoning.

“I understand, Mr. Hamilton. Don't be concerned. You can do it.” The burning in her chest rises to an unbearable level as she screams and withers on the ground. 

Harry looked at her in surprise as she was gone, vanished! He glances upward, his mouth pursed but slightly open and loose. Yet, his veins feel like they're about to burst, then he visualizes his bed and his room as advised.