MEETING OF THE TWO SERPENTS

“Have the applicants already left for the trials?” “The king inquired. He walked around Mr. Starkridge's office, tipping books and pens down on the dusty carpet and watching them roll.

“Yes, sir, they left a few hours ago. He said, swallowing hard and loosening his tie in agitation, “I assume they have already boarded the plane and are on their way to Sunset City as we speak.” The lady who had accompanied the king took a seat on one of the couches closer to the office door. While the two were speaking, she started fussing with her nails.

“Mr. Starkridge, didn’t I tell you that letting the boy live was going to cause some, complications. I suggested that we just kill the boy right then and there and be done with it. But you had to resort to the slow and methodical approach of feeding him blue fire, how did it go? ” The king inquired as he rested his hand on one of the pens and picked it up.

“Uhm sir, I don't think it's appropriate to discuss such a thing in front of the lady,”  Mr. Starkridge stated, "This is really sensitive information."

The king returned his stare to the lady who had thrown a foul snare at him, shrugging her shoulders in the way of the school director. Before returning the pen to the table, the king laughed uncontrollably.

“Your skepticism is not appreciated by the lady. And are you questioning my decision to bring her to this meeting with me? You've questioned my judgment before, and look where it's led us: into even greater trouble,” the king replied, finally taking a seat near the table. The school director was about to take his own seat when the king interrupted, saying, “No, stand up.” I did not allow to take a seat, did I? ”

“Apologies, my king,” he hurriedly rose and cleared his throat, " I didn't want to offend you in any way, so I didn't say anything. Sir, I have complete faith in your judgment.”

“Well, if you trusted my judgment, the boy would have died by now, and we wouldn't be having this talk right now. And now, where is the young boy? Do you know where he is? ”

“I'm afraid not, sire, since he left the school, the boy has gone missing,”

“This is precisely what I was attempting to prevent. You have no idea where he is. You have no idea what he's up to? In what ways are you assisting me? ” the king inquired as he took up the pen once more.

“Sire, the child is running out of time. The tumor is growing quicker, and he only has a few months to live. He will die if he does not receive the therapy he needs, and he will not receive it since he is not a registered member of Ithea; no hospital will treat him without identification. Furthermore, he is unable to go to other kingdoms without being identified. This means he's stuck, and it'll only be a matter of time before he succumbs to the disease.”

“ Director, you talk with amazing assurance. I'm hoping your plan works out because if it doesn't, it'll be a disaster. You'll be dealing with me. You certainly don't want to deal with me while I'm enraged! “ he stabbed the pen into the table.  He walked over to the lady and grasped her hand, leaving the pen impaled. He ushered her out of the office by opening the door for her.

“I am confident that you will take care of everything, director. As he went out of the office and closed the door behind him, he said, "I hope to see you soon in the trials."

The director reclined in his chair, afraid. He didn't know where to start. He had no idea where Nelanian had vanished. Cecily had planned to persuade him to accompany her to her aunt's house, but that did not happen. Mr. Starkridge also knew that Cecily was the only person Nelanian could visit because she was the one person he felt was by his side the entire time, so he arranged for a spy to infiltrate Cecily's aunt's home and monitor everything from the inside. He was supposed to call if he noticed anything unusual.

He did call soon enough, just as King Vonner and his concubine were leaving the premises. Mr. Starkridge took the phone and spoke in a frantic tone.

“Whatever it is, it had better be good,”

“Sir, I have some good news for you. The homestead had just received a visitor. According to them, the visitor wants to speak with Cecily alone.”

“So, who's the visitor? Is it a Nelanian?” ”

“Sir, no. She calls herself Judy Ben Mor,”

“What does that sly little rat want?” ” Mr. Starkridge wondered to himself, lost in thought.

“Sir, what should I do? ” inquired the voice on the other end of the call.

“Just let her in, make certain you don't lose track of her! ” Mr. Starkridge replied as he hung up the phone. He hung up the phone and tossed it on the table, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

IN ETHEL'S RESIDENCE

Judy Ben Mor stood outside the gates, wrapping her arms about herself to keep warm. As she rang the doorbell a second time, her long trench coat brushed across the leaves scattered on the pavement. She wanted to travel quietly, so she leased a salon vehicle to accompany her, leaving her trusty old van and the video crew behind.

“who is it? ” A static voice resonated from the doorbell's small speaker at the bottom.

 “This is Judy Ben Mor speaking! I had a phone conversation with someone else earlier.   I've come to speak with Miss Cecily,” she said, her voice trembling from the cold. The speakers took a long time to turn back on.

The speaker replied, “We will be with you in a moment; please step aside from the gates while we open them.” Before the gates began to open automatically, there was a tiny beep. Judy entered the compound by taking a step forward. Small plates on either side of the road were fitted with light bulbs that lighted up the roadway with a yellow burst of light, illuminating the way leading to the mansion's entrance. The gardens were difficult to see because of the dim light that accompanied nightfall.

Judy took a cautious approach over to the mansion's door, where she was greeted by a friendly dog who leaped up and down when it spotted her. It raced over to her and laid on her feet, twitching its tail and sticking out its tongue at her panting deeply. It seemed to be pleading to Judy to stroke its belly.

Judy knelt and stroked the dog's tummy, which produced a humorous response from the dog as it rolled from side to side.

“Hey there, buddy!” What’s your name? Judy inquired, her voice tightening and sounded like a small girl. Judy eventually noticed the tag hanging around the dog's neck with the name "Sparkles" written on the metallic heart-shaped locket.

“Come here, Sparkles! ” yelled another female voice from the mansion's door. The dog leaped to its feet and dashed towards the voice that beckoned it. Judy looked up to see her standing on the door, which was ajar and she stood close to it, her hand on the door frame. Sparkles run up to her and brushed against her leg.

The girl remarked, "Come on girl, get inside, it's late." The dog answered by walking into the house via the ajar door. On the entry, the girl was left alone. She was wearing a pink robe that fell loosely over her frame, her hair was a tangle, and her ankles were exposed to the harsh temperatures because she was just wearing flip flops.

She inquired, "What are you doing here?"

“Hello, my name is Judy Ben...”

“yes, I know who you are. You haven't answered my question. What are you doing in this place? ”

Judy took a step up the stairwell, getting closer to the massive doors.

“I needed to speak with you, Cecily.” I was hoping you could tell me what happened. ”

“I'm sorry, but I don't have anything to say to you. Now, please leave the property before I call security to evict you,” she stated as she returned to the house. Before Judy spoke, she was about to slam the door in Judy's face.

“I'm aware that you and the school director disagreed. I'm curious as to what it is. I can assist you in whatever way you require, and I can ensure that your narrative is heard. Judy replied, urgency in her voice, “If you want justice, I can give you the means to get it.”

Cecily pondered for a few moments beside the ajar door. She eventually let go of the doorknob, and it flew open. Judy took it as a sign that she should come in, and she did. She came into the house and immediately felt the warmth; she didn't have to wrap herself to keep warm.

The chamber was illuminated by a chandelier suspended several feet in the air from the roof. The room's decor was both antique and exquisite. Handwoven carpets with beautiful motifs brought the room to life. There were deer and bear heads on the walls, as well as a fireplace at the back of the room.

A towering bookshelf ran from the left side of the room all the way to the fireplace. Judy didn't think having a bookshelf full of books so close to a fireplace was a good idea, but they managed to make it work.

“All right, what exactly were you hoping to discuss? ” Cecily inquired, settling back in a chair near the bookcase. In front of her was a coffee table with a smartphone and a laptop on it. The two machines felt out of place in such an old environment, as if they were spoiling the aesthetics. Cecily took a cup of coffee from the table and sipped it. She took a sip after blowing off the steam that was dancing around the cup.

“Listen, I know this abrupt but I need your help. I'm aware that something occurred that forced the two of you to withdraw from the trials, and I'd like to learn more about it. If it was anything horrific, I'd like to assist the two of you in bringing it to justice,”

Cecily burst out laughing. She set the cup down and proceeded to converse.

“Trust me, you can't find justice if the system you're using to get it is the same institution that's committing the injustice,” 

“I'm not sure what you're talking about,” 

“This is a lot more complicated than you realize. It isn't simply the director who is to blame. In truth, the director is nothing more than a pawn in this game. You should be on the lookout for the orchestrators. They're also smaller than you think. If I were you, I'd just ignore everything since it's only going to get you in danger. You could be killed,” 

“Listen, Cecily,” Judy said as she drew a chair from next to her and rested her mass on it."  I didn't choose journalism because it was simple. I was aware of the dangers associated with this profession, but I continued to perform it regardless. So there's no need to be concerned. I have a good sense of self-control. All I need to know right now is what happened,” 

Cecily reclaimed her cup and added, "Well, I hope you're ready because this is going to be one of the most unbelievable stories you'll ever hear."