Prologue

I was born at the start of the Egyptian Empire of Cairo to a woman named Esma. She was a woman who had bastardized because she had the unfortunate pleasure of being impregnated by my Father the Cobra King Amune.

 Now you may be wondering how my Father was able to reproduce with a human well. My Father is a being called a Pallio, preferably a Cobra Pallio. We Pallios are mystical beings that are both animal and human. We can switch between these forms by removing/wearing a magical cloak that symbolizes the animal we are accustomed to. My Father made my cloak, and when I was born, he wrapped me in the cloak. There is no distinction between an average human and Pallio.

Anyway, I was five years old when my Mother was dragged out of our house and killed before the mob arrived. My Mother hid me in a secret compartment in our wall; she also told me to stay silent. I held my cloak tightly in my little hands, and I was forced to listen to my Mother's screams. I quickly put on my cloak, and I slithered out of the house. I did the same I was so tiny, and the Pallio bent down, and I noticed that his shendyt bore a strange symbol resembling a Cobra. It was an amethyst purple and light blue. Another Cobra guided me to a hidden underground cavern where many of my kind had gathered. The Cobra then removed his cloak revealing his human form. 

The Pallio smiled at me and said, "I know you must be traumatized after hearing something like that. Luckily your dad sent me to watch out for you" I was confused because, at this point, I hadn't met my Father, the kind Pallio took my hand and led me deeper into the Cavern. I saw many structures like houses and many statues of different types of snakes. Then I saw a massive mural of a woman with light purple skin and raven black hair. She was covering her upper body with her arms, and her head is adorned with jewels, and her lower body resembled a snake's lower body.

I looked up at the Mural, and I felt a strange feeling like I had known her all my life. I couldn't place where she was from the Pallio knocked me out of my trance. We made our way to a large building that seemed to be made out of gold. It appeared to be well preserved compared to the other formations in the Cavern. The guards posted outside the buildings were clad in golden helmets that resembled regular snakeheads. They had scimitars on their sides and shields on their backs. I was a little scared of them. The Pallio guards opened the door there, I saw that the entire interior was made entirely of gold, and there were hieroglyphics everywhere; I couldn't read them, though.

Soon I heard a lot of music. It sounded so beautiful that we came to a massive chamber adorned with jewels and other pretty stones. I look around and see many well-dressed Pallio, then my gaze is taken to the middle of the room where a Pharaoh is sitting, but when he sees me, he stands up and raises his hand towards the musicians. Then he comes down from his throne. 

I can't see his head. His head was covered in a Cartonnage resembling a Cobra, but the Cartonnage had a hole that revealed his mouth. The Pharaoh bent down, and he took off his Cartonnage, revealing his long white hair and eyes were like snakes, and his eyes were ruby red like mine.

The Pharaoh gave me a soft smile and said, "I know you don't know me, but I'm your Father. Can I have your name, boy?" I spoke up and said, "my name is Amal" the Pallio, who claimed to be my Father, hugged me, and I felt his warmth. It was very familiar. I started to tear up, and I hugged him back.

The days that followed were spent with my Father. As he explained what we were, I understood most of it. Still, some things went over my head. I was quickly given a tour of the Palace that was going to be my home. Surprisingly enough, there was room for me. My Father sat on the bed and placed me on his lap, and he wrapped his arms around me, and it was like I was home with Mother she did the same thing with me I closed my eyes, and I fell asleep my Father then placed my cloak on my nightstand, and he put me to bed.

The next day Father took me around the Cavern, showing me this stand that made fried rats. They tasted so outstanding I loved them. It tasted way better than anything else I had back on the surface. Father then told me that I would be attending school soon, and I didn't know what that meant, but I went on with it.

By the time I was thirteen, I was thrust into combat training. I was given a scimitar and shield; then, the lessons began. I was very timid at; first I had been timid all my life, but I had to leave that all behind. Coming to that realization sparked something inside me, and everything changed once I was on the training ground and Father gave me support, and he helped me grow strong; I had mastered sword training in two years faster than other Pallios. 

I was then taken outside the Cavern by my Father's attendant, and he taught me how to hunt down prey. We even spotted some humans who were transporting water from the Nile. I was curious about the Nile, and I asked the attendant to take me to it. He agreed, and we made our way there; and I saw so much sparkling water it was exciting to see. I then checked the area, and we were clear. I asked the attendant if we could remove our cloaks, and he agreed. 

After some time, we removed our cloaks and took sips of the sweet, sweet water. It was so refreshing. I drank water before, and it was always so good, but the water had tasted better than ever; It was odd.

We returned to the Cavern, and I explored it. Since I had arrived at the Cavern, many of the other Pallio started treating me like family, and I did the same in my younger days. My Mother and I were treated like trash. We didn't have a lot to eat some nights, and when we did have food, my Mother gave most of it to me; I still remembered her smiling face. She loved me deeply, and I loved her too, but now I try to spread those feelings to other Pallio. 

I was incredibly popular with the young Pallio, and I would spend most of my day with them sometimes. Father once told me that if I'm going to be a good Pharaoh, I was to treat my subjects with respect and kindness, and I chose to follow that example.

Father was incredibly proud of me, and I was happy, but deep down, I still had some questions about Father, like why he left Mother and me alone? That question troubled me, and I always meant to bring it up, but I never knew how one day, as I was sitting in the throne room with my Father beside me. The Vizier came in; he was my Father's most trusted assistant; the Vizier bowed before my Father and me and said. "Greetings, my dearest Pharaoh. I have come to deliver a message from the resident Nobles they wish to discuss future marriage arrangements." 

Recently it has been buzzing around about who I will marry. I rolled my eyes at the mere mention of the word marriage. I had heard that the local daughters of the Nobles were uptight and that These local girls had raised them in these Caverns all their lives. They had never seen the sun before. I didn't want to be in a relationship with any of them. Still, I ultimately had no choice in the matter.

My Father looked at me and shrugged before turning to the Vizier and saying, "tell the nobles to bring their daughters to the Palace. We will have a meeting with them here for a celebration" I sighed and was told to prepare for the event. I went to my room. My attendants spent the majority of the time getting me ready my white hair was combed and styled. I was adorned with a better robe decorated with my family's emblem. As I stood up, I heard the bells signaling that the party had started. I walked to the hall where the party was being held. 

Everyone was dressed in their finest clothes, and I walked out to sit with my Father, and I saw the other nobles sitting two yards beside him. I sat on the throne next to my Father, and after two hours, the socializing event of the evening came. 

I was asked to talk to the daughters of the nobles. There were five nobles at the party, so I had five daughters to speak to. The first one was named Mesi; she was the Daughter of Abanoub. He was tasked with supplying our city with the freshest of water straight from the Nile. Mesi was very well educated; she went on and on about the history of our people. She was also very offended when I couldn't keep up with her mentally, and by this point, I was done with Mesi. I walked over to the next daughter. Her name was Dalila Gems decorated; her attire was a mixture of pink quartz crystals. She was rude and meant to whoever was in her path she looked beautiful. Still, her attitude and overall demeanor were enough to drive me away. I didn't even talk to her; I witnessed her barking orders, and I turned right around and said, "noooope." 

I then met the next Noble her name was Oni, and as I looked at her, Oni was surrounded by other Pallio Men. I sighed because, on closer inspection, I noticed that Oni was flaunting her looks. It became evident to me that she only cared about being worshiped like a god. I sighed and left the hall, and went out to another spot far away from the entrance. Why should I bother with the other two nobles? I honestly just wanted a break. I then walked to the water container. I took a drink of water then I saw her. This Pallio before me has bathed in the silver lantern light. Her hair was a pure bluish-white. 

She was currently gathering some water, and I approached her. Surprised by my presence, the young Pallio was so surprised she dropped her vase shattering it causing the water to spill to the ground the Pallio was so frightened about the broken vase that she started to panic I came overtook her hand. We began walking to a vendor who specializes in pottery; luckily, there was one shop open. Once he saw the Pallio girl beside me, he tilted his head and said, "so young Prince Amal has finally gotten himself a slave, huh."

I then looked at the Pallio girl, and I looked over her attire, and she was, in fact, a slave. I could tell by the collar around her neck that it symbolizes her rank in our society. The Pallio girl looked down in shame, but I held her hand and gave her a gentle smile. I then paid for the pot, and the Pallio girl and I went back to collect the water, but there was a much bigger Pallio waiting for us. He looked furious and walked toward the Pallio girl. It was evident that this Pallio was this girl's master. He moved to strike the girl, but I stopped him, and once this Pallio man realized that I was the prince, he quickly backed down. I then asked for the Pallio girl's name; she blushed and said her name was Ain. 

I smiled at the beautiful name, and I then told Ain's master to remove the collar from her neck. The Pallio man complied, and I took Ain by the hand and lead her back to the Palace, and once we arrived, all eyes were on Ain and me.

I started to hear whispers like "what is the prince doing with a slave?" and another was "a slave, how absurd she couldn't possibly be our next queen" I could sense Ain's hesitation. Still, I gave her a reassuring smile, and I approached my Father, and I told him, "Father, I wish to take Ain as my future wife. I genuinely care about her." 

My Father gave an approving look and stood up and said. "I now announce that this party has reached its conclusion. We have all had fun feasting and joining together; may the great Serpent Fiona smile upon all of us" with that speech over, and everyone started to scatter, all except the laborers who were cleaning up the plaza. I then walked with my Father back to the Palace, but I had Ain with me this time, and I could tell that we were meant for each other.

End of Prologue

Chapter 1.

Ten years have passed now, and my Father is starting to become ill. I've been talking to him every day by his bedside, and he told me about how he met my Mother; apparently, my Mother saved my Father when he was young. My Father was shrouded in his cloak. Since that day, Father visited her every day, and when my Mother reached adulthood, my Father began to court my Mother in his human form. The two shared a whirlwind romance, and soon my Mother became pregnant. My Father was ready to have a son, but somehow my Father's true identity was revealed, and the people began to hunt him down along with every Cobra they could find. My Father had to say goodbye to my Mother, but he left a servant to look after her; after my Father left, my mom faced many accusations. She was disowned by her family and was forced to become a beggar. Then nine months later, she had me; my Father told me that leaving my Mother hurt him dearly, and his one regret is that he should have brought my Mother with him to the Cavern.

Hearing this story broke my heart, and judging by the way my Father talked about my Mother, you could sense the love he had for her. Father's love was so strong that it brought a tear to my eye Father then began talking about his childhood here in the Cavern. My Father got into a lot of trouble and was punished several times; this made me laugh about my Father's childhood. 

Ain would come in from time to time when she wasn't studying to become a Priestess speaking of Ain; she came from a family of priests. Still, they died in a fire set by an unknown assailant. I suspected it was a rival noble family that was responsible for it. Father had informed me that our kingdom is very much full of lies and deceit. 

My Father then told me that it would be up to me to make their cloaks when I have children. My Father told me it was a tradition that all Pallio men had to do for their children. I was incredibly excited to try this. My Father also informed me that when a Cobra Pallio reaches the end of their lives, we slowly get sick from our inner venom and die.

This news saddened me, but it made sense we were essentially part snake. We had to die somehow. I smiled at my Father as he laid in bed; he smiled back. I then retired for the night I went to Ain's chamber. She was busy brushing her hair. I went behind her, and I covered her eyes. Ain laughed and said: "hello Amal, how is the king?"

I said, "Father seems to get weaker and weaker as the days go on. I worry for him greatly." Ain stood up and hugged me. She could sense my fear, and I didn't want to lose my Father; he was all I had, but technically, that wasn't true. I had Ain, so I wasn't genuinely alone. 

I went to bed in Ain's chamber, and we slept peacefully. We were awoken by a servant who told me that my Father wanted to meet with me. I quickly went to my chamber to get dressed, and I ran to my Father's chamber. When I got there, my Father was wheezing and coughing heavily. I saw a doctor nearby. The doctor told me that even though a Pallios death is unavoidable, we were still trying to preserve our lives. I got close to my Father, and he smiled weakly at me and said: "Amal, I entrust the kingdom's well-being to you. Please look after them and bring them to hope I know you will be a great Pharaoh."

As my Father spoke to me, he began to convulse venom violently, and I began to tear up because I knew my Father was dying. I was forced out of the room by the healer, and servants rushed into the room. I could only watch as the servants took my Father to the temple for mummification. My Father's Death utterly broke my heart. I sullenly walked to my room, and I curled up in my bed. Ain walked into the room and sat on my bed, and started to stroke my head. Ain and I began talking for hours about the situation at hand. 

I would be declared king of the Cobra Pallio. I would hold the kingdom's future in my hands. I was getting overwhelmed at the thought of running an entire empire, but Ain assured me that I wasn't in this alone. I got out of bed and hugged her closely; I spent the following days preparing for the throne and my Father's burial rites. 

Compared to the Egyptian burial rites above, we have our take on it. First, we drain all the venom from the corps; doing this decreases the rate of the Corpes's decomposition. If the venom is not removed, the corps will turn into toxic mush. The next part is getting rid of all other moisture in the body. What follows is the removal of various organs except for the heart.

After that, my Father was wrapped in his cloak, and the last thing we did was place the corps in a sarcophagus and fill the sarcophagus with honey. This honey is sacred to us. We have special Priests who cultivate honey, and due to our living situation producing honey can be tricky, so we only mummify those of noble birth.

It makes me sad that my kingdom is divided by social status, but things are now. It happened at night; the entire kingdom gathered in front of the tomb. We watched as the priests took my Father further inside the grave. I was so happy to see that my Father had so much support from his subjects, and I wondered if they would treat me the same way. 

Later on in the day, we had a kingdom-wide feast to celebrate my coronation. Every two hours, I had to recite a sacred script. Thankfully, I had practiced reciting this script before, so there wasn't any trouble there, but I didn't expect another part of the ceremony where I had to fight the General. I was worried because the General was famous for taking on many humans at once, and he quickly took their lives, so I was hesitant, but I had to give it my all.

The General and I stepped into the ring him with a great sword and me with shield and scimitar then came the bang of a gong and the fight began I circled the General for a bit the one advantage I had was my speed the General was very slow. Still, if he landed a hit on me, it would be disastrous. Hence, I had to be clever. The General ran up to me carrying his greatsword. I quickly dodged to the side and circled him; I then made a mad dash towards the General's back, attempting to get the first hit in the General quickly swung around. I promptly blocked his sword swing with my shield. I ran towards a wall; I took a moment to catch my breath, and then I slowly got back up. I ran towards the General, and he swung again, but this time I backflipped over the General's swing, and when I was behind him, I began to slash away at the General's back. 

The General yelped in pain and quickly swung around. I jumped back, and I gave him a cocky smirk. The General just chuckled and jumped towards me, and he began to slash at me. I quickly guarded with my shield, which was starting to break due to the power of the General's swings. The Impact from the Great Sword promptly brought me to my knees, and I had to think. I took a deep breath and did a side sweep of the General's legs, and I brought him down to the ground; I quickly stood over him and put my sword to the General's face. 

The General gave in and turned his face away from me, expecting that I would take his life. I removed my blade and sheathed it. I then helped the General up off the ground, and my subjects looked at me with surprised faces. It would seem that everyone expected me to take the General's life sadly; this was one tradition I refused to continue. I spoke to the crowd saying, "with my ascension to the throne; I will start a new era where we will start a new age of traditions."

I got a small amount of praise from my subjects, but others gave me looks of disappointment. I then went towards Ain, and we continued the celebration we partied until tomorrow morning. Then I have officially crowned Pharaoh, and wedding plans were being made. Our culture dictates that the Pharaoh must not see his queen until the wedding; meanwhile, the priests will put the bride through many trials of her own to prove she is worthy of being the Pharaoh's partner. 

The first trial will test Ain's spirituality. They will test this by having Ain hold a pure gemstone with a unique property; the jewel can measure spirituality by how much it glows. If it manages to light up the entire room, she will be deemed worthy; however, the priests will put her to death if Ain fails this trial.

As Ain enters the room, the door closed behind her, leaving the room as dark as night. Ain sits in the middle of the room. The gemstone in front of her Ain picked up the jewel and held it close to her chest. She began to breathe in and out. After two whole days, the priests residing over the test started to write Ain off as unfit to rule, but an intense purple light blinded them as they opened the door. After that display, the light faded, and Ain fell to the ground.

The priests quickly took Ain to a shrine, where she was treated very promptly. Ain recovered in less than a day, and the priests immediately took Ain to the subsequent trial. This one judged Ain's purity. Ain was taken to a Medicine Maker and was asked to provide venom into a small vial.

You see, Cobra Pallios can produce venom, and based on their experiences, the venom can go through various changes. If a Cobra Palio has had a cruel life, their venom would be more deadly than other Cobra Pallios; however, there can be healing properties if a Cobra Pallio has to lead a loving and good life. So the priests made this trial to find out if the bride proved to be a threat to the Pharaoh. 

Ain gave the vial of venom to the Medicine Maker, and he tested the vial. After thirty minutes, the Medicine Maker went out and told the Priests that Ain couldn't possibly harm the Pharaoh. The Priests are surprisingly baffled. Even though Ain was the daughter of two famous priests, the royal court still sees Ain as a lower-class slave. The final trial is going to be the hardest. 

Ain was asked to perform a significant Ceremonial dance that Ain will have to perform if she is to become the queen. The Priests tried to make it difficult for Ain to dance, but Ain ignored all their attempts to hinder her Ain was focused entirely on being with the one she loved. The last trial was performed without incident. Ain was able to dance with grace and elegance.

With the final trial complete, Ain proved that she was ready to be my bride. The wedding went on without incident upon the realization of Ain's completion of the Trials; Ain was welcomed with open arms; however, one Priest was bitter about this marriage. 

So bitter in fact that he didn't show up after the wedding Ain and I shared an intimate moment we dimmed the torch lights and then retired to our marital bed. We slowly undressed Ain's beautiful wedding attire was breathtaking; I slowly undressed her, and she did the same with me. Moans started to fill the air. Ain then got on top of my member, and we began to concealment our marriage. 

When morning came, we were a bundle of sweat. I got out of bed and stretched. I looked down at my sleeping wife, and I felt a great sense of warmth wash over me. I wiped a strand of hair out of Ain's face. I then went to the bathhouse located in the depths of the Palace, and I began to wash up. After a while, I heard the door open, and I saw Ain. She got in the pool with me, and we began to talk about the upcoming future. We hoped that it would be full of joy and laughter.

At least that is what e hoped for, but I heard that the humans above were actively hunting us the next day. I asked for a more in-depth report, and I learned that the humans were collecting Cobra's and revealing who we were. What happened next was left to my imagination, but I knew that this could not continue. I instructed several architects to construct an escape tunnel in case we had to flee. I was apprehensive for my people. I ordered hunters to go out in teams so it would be safer. I even employed one of my people to help us; I asked a famous Assassin to spy on Cairo and bring back any intel. I was so worried I took so many precautions. 

Still, it was inevitable we all would have to leave this Cavern, the very place given to us by the first Pharaoh, the very cradle of our civilization was incredibly sacred, but I put on a brave face for my subjects. They needed a leader to guide them through this, and I swear I will be that leader. 

Things slowly got better. For example, with the Hunters going out in groups, they could back each other up. Humans can only take one snake at a time. If they try to handle more than one, they will most likely be bitten by one of the others, so, for now, there was peace. I had even heard the news that the escape tunnel had been completed. I was so relaxed, but I could never have imagined what would happen next.

End of Chapter

Chapter 2.

It all happened so suddenly there was a loud bang, and humans brandishing blades and spears started to attack. My Soldiers quickly sprung into action. Even I took up arms and began to fight with all I had; I cut down so many humans with my Scimitar, but the humans just kept on coming, but I continued the attack we held the line for hours forcing the Humans to retreat I looked up towards the hole. I saw someone who had powder yellow hair, and he looked to be in his 60's I couldn't tell, but he closely resembled a Pallio. I was shocked one of our kind was betraying us. 

I sent my Soldiers into the Cavern to help the wounded. To my surprise, there were a lot of casualties. For example, a tiny baby had lost his mother. His father, who was a Soldiers, was the only person he had left. I told the Soldiers to leave the army and be with his son; The Soldiers nodded in agreement and fled, dropping his blade and shield. The next thing I did was call a meeting. I told everyone that we were going to leave the Cavern, many shouted in disagreement. Still, I explained that we were no longer safe here and had to flee for our survival. 

Begrudgingly everyone agreed, and we made preparations to escape the Cavern we called home. I told everyone only to bring what was necessary, so no currency, no personal belongings, no jewelry. The things we needed were food, water, and medicine. Those were the things we needed at this moment. 

Once everyone was prepared, we made our way through the Tunnel. We made sure to seal the tunnel entrance behind us, and we all had at least one torch. After two days of walking, we came out of the other side of the Tunnel. We were then met with the light of day, something I had surrendered oh so long ago to be with my people. I looked around; I saw that we were far from Cairo. The spy I had sent told me that the humans were using our venom to make a mind-altering medicine. If the humans had captured us, I can assume that they would have forced us into servitude; the spy left after delivering that information. Now we are here; we continued walking until we came to an oasis. We rested there, and I went out with a scouting party to find anything to help us. 

I started to sense something familiar, like back at the Cavern but vastly different. I saw a Viper slither over to me. It then stopped and stared at me for several seconds before starting to morph into a woman slowly. I was so surprised I was at a loss for words.

The woman tilted her head in confusion before saying, "huh, I guess this is a first for you, huh" I quickly noted this woman's attire, and I saw that she was wearing warrior garb. I then cleared my throat and said, "forgive me but are you also a Pallio?" 

The woman laughed and said, "yes, but I do not believe we are of the same Clan. I'm a Viper You seem to resemble a Cobra witch is very odd because I was taught that the Cobra Pallios chose to isolate themselves from the other Pallio Clans."

 I was perplexed I had never learned this. I quickly started to ask more questions. Still, I cut myself off to say, "can you please help us? My people and I were driving from our home. We have nowhere to go; we are currently resting at an oasis." Upon hearing this, the Viper Pallio said: "oh dear, don't worry, I shall bring an entire army to help you go back to your people, and I will do what I can."

I immediately called the scouts and told them about the Viper Pallio I met. We went back to the Oasis, and I shared this news with everyone, and they were grateful for the support. I then rested with Ain, and I began to ask her how she was doing. To my surprise, my beloved was doing just fine.

It took half an hour for the Viper Pallios to arrive and get us. They immediately helped the sick and elderly and the children; we then started walking towards a cave. This cave was utterly dark, but there were these glowing crystals scattered here, and there the Viper Pallio then started to speak in a strange tongue, and the Viper Pallio revealed a staircase. We all began walking down the stairs, and we all found a whole other world. It wasn't like our Cavern; it was more like an entire city. There were no stalagmites anywhere. The buildings were utterly different; I didn't see a single hut carved from stone. Instead, the Palace expertly carved and Crafted the Viper Pallio Soldiers said they would take my people to get treatment, and Ain and I were asked to meet with the Pharaoh of this Cavern.

I nodded in agreement. I then took Ain's hand, and we walked towards the Palace where The Pharaoh met us. She was wearing a gown resembling that of a priestess, but it was incredibly colorful, but there was a lot of blue-black and white in her outfit. The Pharaoh also had brown hair with blue and white streaks in it. The Pharaoh stood up and walked towards us and said: "my fellow Pallio, I welcome your arrival to our city. I am Pharaoh Talibah. I rule over all you see here, and I am sorry to hear that you lost your home, but you're most welcome here, my fellow Pallio."

"Talibah, I thank you on behalf of my people. However, why is it that I have never heard of your Clan," I asked Talibah, smiled and gently, and said, "well, my dear, it was several ages ago our two cities were once the same. Still, as time went on, arguments about how witch Pharaoh should rule the Kingdom started to arise. A civil war started. The Pharaoh of the Cobra Clan decided it would be best if his kind left to start a new civilization so there would be no more conflict. We tried to keep in touch with one another, but sadly all communication stopped completely."

I was taken aback by this when I was living in the Cavern. No one ever spoke of this Talibah. Then said, "when we lost contact with the Cobra Clan, we could no longer inform you of the other Pallio Clans. We started to assume the worst, but you're all alive, and we can help each other once more." I formerly introduced myself as Amal, the Ruling Pharaoh of the Cobra Pallio.

 I smiled because now I had somewhere safe for my people to live. The Viper Pallio spent the next five weeks helping my people get acclimated to this new culture that we were living in.

For example, the Vipers had advanced medicinal practices. The Viper Pallio had people called pharmacists who could make powerful medicine with strange tools made of metal. The healers went by a new name as well. They called themselves doctors. Another unique thing the Vipers had was farming, where they could grow all sorts of things. Back at the Cavern, we could only steal what we needed, and even that was rare, but the Vipers were developing their food. I was amazed by this, and yet there was still more to talk about. The Vipers even had livestock; they had actual cows that they were caring for, and the entire city was filled with beautiful light from a pillar above the Palace. This place was Paradise for all of us. 

I was able to talk to several Viper Pallios, and they were very friendly and welcoming to my Clan. Some even told me about the other Pallio Clans that aren't in Egypt. They told me that one Pallio Clan wore strange clothing with weird designs and raven black hair. I was curious about this, so I went to Talibah, and she confirmed a Pallio that matched that description. They were Mouse Pallio from a place called China. I was intrigued, and Talibah saw my interest, and she directed me to the library, where I began to throw myself into studying. After about half a day, I went to check on Ain.

Ain had devoted herself to helping our people recover. Ain had even started studying to become a Pharmacist. Ain truly did love her people, and she wanted to do everything she could to protect them. My people were adjusting quite well, but we became aware that there were no statues or murals of the great Serpent Fiona. I brought this up with Talibah, and she shamefully said that they had not worshiped the great Serpent in several years Talibah then started to ask me if I could bring the teachings of the great Serpent to the Viper Pallio I agreed. Several high-ranking Priests built their place to set up a temple and spread the Great Serpents' teachings throughout the entire Kingdom. 

Things began to get more peaceful. Two weeks later, I heard that another Pallio was coming from another country her name was Alice she was a Rabbit Pallio from a place called America. I was curious about how she was getting here, and Talibah told me another entrance into the city. It was just well hidden Talibah said to me that she would talk to me about it when I was ready. 

Ain and I then left to prepare for this visiting Pallio. We were given new royal attire that was better than the ones we had before in the Cavern. Once we were both dressed, we were escorted to the Throne Room and placed on our thrones. After a few minutes, the visiting Pallio came into the throne room. Her clothes were incredibly different, and her hair was completely white. She removed her mask to reveal her ruby red eyes. 

The Pallio bowed respectfully "greetings, your majesties, and it seems our beliefs have been proven wrong the Cobra Pallios did not die off. How interesting" I chose not to comment on that remark, so as it turned out, Alice came to inquire about the rumors of a Pallio betraying their kind. I told Alice that the culprit was from my Clan; however, I couldn't give her a name because I didn't know the Pallio responsible for this offense. 

Alice Spoke up and said. "well, the Pallio Grand Council is currently working on suppressing the offender. This Traitor had taken his plans a step further. The Traitor is raiding the Cavern where the Cobra Pallio once resided." By the end of the meeting, Alice told us that she would be monitoring the events from our Kingdom Talibah then called a servant to escort Alice to an empty room. I was glad to hear That the Council would catch the Traitor; I didn't know when.

Later that evening, my wife and I were in our room. I was looking over the view from the Palace. I look towards Ain, who is very invested in a book. I sit next to her. I lightly kiss her neck; Ain begins to moan. I thought it was about time to start a family. Hence, I spent a passionate night with Ain; when morning came, we heard a gentle song that slowly woke us up we went to the balcony. We saw a beautiful woman performing a ballad; several entertainers were performing today, and it was very amusing to watch.

We both got dressed and decided to walk around the city. This outing would be our twelfth outing this year. We decided to eat breakfast at our favorite restaurant they served delectable Beef Steak. Talibah told me that we Pallio have more advanced technology than regular humans. This spike in our technology could be because we had observed the humans in our animal forms to spot the mistakes humans keep making.

So it was interesting to me. All our advancements were made because Pallio from all over the world keeps in contact with each other. We also share information. Ain and I sit at our favorite table, and we order our usual meal two Beef Steaks with a side of baked bread.

The waitress then left to give our order to the chef, then Ain and I started talking. We mainly talked about the events of last night and how our children would be. It was a little early to be discussing such things. Still, it was a nice thought. We started talking about how we would raise our child. We both decided that we will raise our child with warmth and kindness. I smiled, and soon we were interrupted by two kids who walked up to us. They looked at us with curious eyes; They gave us a bright smile. We had a little conversation with the children until they had to go back to their parents.

I could tell by the smile on Ain's face that she adored children, and I was pleased about that because I wanted to be a father. I want to give my child the same love and support my parents gave me. I already give that same affection to my subjects, but it's not the same as giving it to your child. That was an experience I so wanted to have when our food came to our table. Ain and I said a blessing before eating. When we did get to eat, the taste was always the best rustic yet attractive with an overbearing taste of confidence. We paid for everything; then we went to the plaza. 

To see more of the entertainers and a big show being presented today. I mean, at least five dancers and sixteen musicians; I wasn't aware of any festivals today. However, Ain and I still enjoyed listening to the music, and we were dazzled by the elegant dancers who didn't miss a single step.

Ain and I soon got carried away by the music because soon we were dancing. Soon many civilians joined us. There was a lot of joy and excitement all around us. We danced for several hours until we all stopped and went home. Upon our return to the Palace, we heard a conversation in the throne room. Upon closer inspection, I saw a chained Cobra Pallio on his knees. Alice was in front of him; Talibah sat on the throne overlooking everything. I told Ain to go to our room; I then entered and asked what was wrong. 

"Amal, this is the Pallio who revealed your location to the humans. He was captured some time ago and brought here right now; we are questioning him for any information he knows." Talibah said as I sat in my throne next to her as Alice interrogated this suspect who, after several whippings, laced with thorns. The suspect decided to talk; the suspect revealed that he was not the Traitor. Still, he was subordinate of the Traitor; and he was ordered to search for the remaining Cobra Pallio. We caught him before he had a chance to report his findings; we then asked him to reveal the Traitor's plan. The subordinate stated that the Traitor wanted to hunt and enslave all Pallios all around the world. His reasons for doing this were unknown, even to those who followed him. 

I was curious about this; why would a Pallio want to enslave his race? Something had to be up with this situation. Alice said she would detain this Pallio in the International Prison, and she also mentioned if this was true, this could be a small branch in a significant operation. We all agreed that this would have to be investigated. For right now, we will hold this prisoner in our jail until he can be transported. Alice then leads the guards to the prison Talibah and I stood up, and we started talking Talibah explained that there might be darker days ahead of us. I agreed with her Talibah then told me about the other two Pallio Clans in the surrounding region. The Ibis Pallios are calm and nomadic. Some of them live in plain sight, whether in the cities of Egypt or their cloaks. The Ibis Pallio have never been detected.

The other was the Crocodiles they lived in the Nile. The Crocodile Pallio mainly stay in their cloaks, but they leave the water once in a while. However, they live far from Cairo, and they are powerful. So the Crocodile Pallio are in no danger Talibah then told me that she would write a letter to them to support this matter. I became gravely concerned for my wife and subjects. I wanted them to be safe by any means necessary, so I decided to talk to Alice. I asked her if she could inform me of the other countries outside of Egypt. Alice said that it would take too much time to teach me the ways of the world, so instead, she asked why don't come with her to learn the ways of the world.

I told Alice that I needed some time, and she nodded her head and left. I then walked to the palace library and began reading again. This time I read studies on humans, their anatomy there way of life. It was undoubtedly true our way of life was far better than the humans. We had cures and medicine for most of the illnesses plaguing Humanity. 

Yet I wondered why we couldn't share our findings with the most likely they would call it witchcraft, and that thought honestly broke my heart. I then read another book called the founding of the Pallio empire. It described the first Pallios, otherwise known as the ancients. In the beginning, there were only two Pallio, a woman and a man. Their names were Roslin and Edward; they lived with the first human beings, and over time, an arms race happened between the Pallio and the Humans. The two tribes fought viciously. Still, the Pallio almost won with their animal abilities. Still, they chose to spare Humanity and leave them be. However, Humanity saw this act of mercy as weakness and began to hunt the Pallio. I felt heartbroken about this, but the Pallios found ways to hide, and that's how they lived. That's how we lived for so long.

It was sad our lives were mainly spent hiding, at least for some Clans. Now we have a group of traitors working to enslave us all. Their own kin, why would they do that? I couldn't fathom why and at this point, I'm tired of trying to figure it out, so I'm going to the Farmlands. I wanted further information on how farming works as I approached the Farm, I saw many cows and other forms of livestock like chickens. 

I watched as the Farmers worked, and it was interesting to me all the way they interacted with the animals was intriguing. I talked to a farmer, and he explained that farming is an experience in itself. Farming may be an essential practice for some people, but this was truly interesting to me. After a few minutes, I asked if I could join the farmers. They agreed, and soon I was farming. Though I was doing poorly, the Farmers were willing to help me get better.

By nightfall, I had sown a whole crop. I was pleased about it. I returned to the Palace with a large smile on my face. I was happy with the work I had done today. I quickly went to get a bath; when I got down into the water, I smiled and let everything wash away my pain, the dirt, everything. I then returned to my chamber, where I saw Ain, and she smiled at me. We then discussed what went on in the day.

While we slept, I had a vision it depicted an army laying siege to a kingdom that was utterly devoid of love, but in the middle of the Kingdom was a Giant Cobra statue that started to crumble. I then woke up; this vision kept plaguing my dreams for months. I then explained my dream to Talibah, and she thought that my dream was a warning of something yet to come. So we instructed our Soldiers to be prepared for anything. In the meantime, I practiced with my Scimitar; I've been neglecting my training since we arrived in Talibah's Kingdom. That was something I wanted to change during my training. I became motivated by the announcement Ain had said to me, the information of Ain's pregnancy that news was enough to force me to train deep into the hours of the night. 

I became well known amongst the people, and Talibah asked me to train the Soldiers, and I happily obliged. I even asked the former General of the Cobra Pallio to help me. In time my swordsmanship became so well known that the Pallio began calling me Amal the Silver Edge. We managed to whip these wimps into great shape. Their reflexes were now spot on, and they became more alert. As the training went on back at the Cavern, the human forces vastly outnumbered my Soldiers. Now it was different. We had an actual army that could rival the people of Egypt, and if they did attack, they should beware of our power. I smiled; now, I was able to find some peace in our situation.

Ten weeks past and it finally happened; the Humans had found us. They were trying to break into our domain. I Gathered the Viper and Cobra Pallio armies, and we rose to the surface and began our attack. Our advance took the humans off guard, and the training I gave to our Soldiers was enough to push them back. We even managed to capture a few of them in the process. The battle was a tremendous victory for us. We all went down to the city filled with pride for our success. We then questioned the prisoners, and they revealed part of the plan. The Traitor was a Pallio known as Hager. He told the Pharaoh of his Pallio heritage and quickly became an advisor; Hager promised abundant and unique treasures. He also explained the advanced minds of Pallio culture that had built remarkable medicines that could cure almost anything and other such wonders.

The Pharaoh was quickly swayed by the wonders the Pallios had. He wanted to claim them for his own with that. Hager became the most trusted adviser and organizer of the Pallio operation. Hager led raids on at least five Pallio settlements throughout Egypt, but he hasn't found the main cities. I reported this news to Talibah, and she was surprised to hear the name, Hager. I inquired about the character, and Talibah said she needed to look into it, but the surprised look on her face left me with more questions than answers. I decided to increase the Patrols around the Kingdom

to ensure peace.

When I wasn't receiving reports from the patrols I was with Ain, we would talk about names for our child, and I would try to feel if our child would kick. I smiled because I felt several strong kicks. I smiled upon feeling them. It was such a unique feeling that gave a warm feeling to my heart. It made me think things would be just fine. 

Then one of the reports came back. It said that a group of humans was gathering several yards away. I said, keep watch over them; that was the best I could do at the moment. After all, we were safe; there was no way they could dig underground. As I was looking through the reports, Alice came into the room. I gave her my full attention. Alice said that she was going to have a small army come to support us. I thanked Alice for it, and she smiled at me. Alice then said that she would be leaving first thing in the morning.

Smiled and said, "Alice, it's been a pleasure meeting you" Alice then smiled and said, "likewise," Alice then left the room. I then went back to sorting the reports and coming up with more strategies. I also kept in touch with the Soldiers through messengers. 

When nightfall came, I was able to get some rest finally. I went to bed protectively, holding my wife because right now, she was the most important thing to my moment. The following day I went to the war room, and I went through everything. The Soldiers managed to drive away from the humans who had set up a camp many yards away. They were spying on us and trying to find an alternative way into our city. I sighed because this will not be their last attempt. 

I decided to take a break from the paperwork, and I went out for a walk. This time I wanted to explore the city's business district, and what I found was a variety of shops and markets that were all selling different things like food, clothing, and weapons. I walked around for a bit until I found a strange shop it sold paintings. I looked at all the pictures, and they all had a strange allure to them. The shopkeeper told me that each illustration has a secret to them, and honestly, that made me even more curious. I ultimately decided not to buy a painting. I decided to return to the Palace; when I arrived, I saw several different Pallio guards one group was clad in scale-like armor, and the other was clad in light white-colored armor. I walked past them and went to the throne room. It was impressive.

As I got close to the throne room, I heard a conversation. When I got into the entranceway, I saw two other Pallio, and one was clad in green royal regalia. In contrast, the other wore a white and black dress with a feather design Talibah waved her hand over to me, and I sat on my throne. I was introduced to queen Femi, the Ibis Pallio, and Abasi King of the Crocodile Pallio.

I was informed that the conversation was about the Traitor Hager Abasi had been told that Hager looked and resembled some Pallio. Still, it wasn't a Cobra; this contradicted what I saw since the raid on Cavern. Still, I guessed that Cobra Pallio I saw was another subordinate of Hager. Femi added that her Soldiers in Cairo confirmed; that the Captured Pallio are being forced into slave labor and using Pallio knowledge to improve Egypt's infrastructure. The news of Pallio being forced into slavery concerned Talibah then stood up and said that Hager is the sole survivor of a lost Pallio Kingdom that's not even in Egypt.  

Femi Abasi and I looked towards Talibah with a concerned look on our faces. Talibah explained that Hager is not his real name, and his Cloak has no power. He can't transform, so this so-called Hager is a foreigner from a lost kingdom. This information was interesting.

I suggested a rush on Cairo to free the Pallio captured and take Hager into custody. Abasi felt the same way, but Talibah spoke up against it, saying it would cause too much bloodshed, and Femi backed her up. We have split down the middle on this, so we tried to devise ways to handle this news. We decided to send a message to the Pallio Grand Council voicing our concerns and what we knew. Femi left, promising that she will have her Soldiers report any new information they could find. Abasi left, saying that he would train his Soldiers constantly to avoid any possible threat going Talibah and me to talk. 

I asked Talibah how she knew about Hager's origin Talibah said she used to contact the Kingdom that Hager was from the Pallio that lived there were Tasmanian Tigers. Somehow their cloaks lost the power to transform the humans at that time, hunted them down, and killed them, seeing them as monsters. This story was indeed saddening news. Still, it doesn't excuse Hager's crimes now; even though we weren't the same species, we were Pallio, so why would he go against us his own He has pulled away from my thoughts when a massive tremor swept across our subterranean Kingdom. 

End of Chapter

Chapter 3.

As the tremors got more intense, my people began to panic more and more. I went to get Ain and Talibah. Luckily they were in the throne room Talibah was so in shock I quickly sounded an alarm, and I told everyone to gather in the Palace for safety. Soon the worst thing happened the ceiling came down on our heads. The location of our city has been revealed. Humans began to fly down with devices strapped to their backs. The Soldiers had been temporarily blinded by the sun so putting up a fight became very difficult.

Talibah went over to the throne and got on her knees, and began to whisper something into a stone. There was shaking after that. The snake statues that decorated the exterior walls of the Palace slowly sprang to life. They started to attack the Humans who were fighting back with strange weapons. The snakes managed to slay the human Soldiers who were attacking. It caused the other humans to become hesitant. I took a sigh of relief. I went over to Talibah, and she gave me a look that said, "Please not now."

I then went down to get the Soldiers together, and with their help, we managed to rescue trapped civilians and usher them to the Palace. It became hard to do much of anything now that the humans have invaded our home. The Farmers had a hard time maintaining the fields with the Humans constantly raiding them of all their products. The Doctors are slowly running out of medicine to treat the injured. We are trapped in hell the number of wounded Soldiers keeps rising. We are quickly running out of non-disabled men to fight. 

Talibah is trying to keep everyone's hopes high, but I don't know how long we can last at this rate. Right now, I am helping to treat a Soldiers who has a bad injury he honestly might not make it. He has a daughter around the age of five. His daughter is one of many children made orphaned by Hager. She has no other family currently living, and sadly. I can't let this stand much longer. I need to do something; otherwise, we all die. I went to Talibah, and I ask her if there is any way I can protect our people. Talibah takes note of the determination in my eyes. She asks me to follow her down into a secret room in the Palace. When we came to the room, the lights came on; there was a statue of the Great Serpent Fiona. Upon closer inspection, I saw a fountain, and the liquid that came out of it was bright green.

"Amal, if you wish to take this path, know that you can never go back. If you bathe your Cloak in this venom, you will have the ability to transform into a Titanoboa, but once you put it on, you will never be able to remove it. Are you willing to be our champion, Amal, because if so, you will never be able to be with your wife and child again," Talibah explained?

I took off my Cloak. This sacrifice is something that had to be done. I would let my body be burned in hellfire if it meant my people could be free. These Humans need to be brought down from their conquest. I quickly bathed my Cloak in the venom, and I saw my cloak change from the colors became black, and the seal changed to match Fiona's. I put the Cloak on, but I didn't activate it yet.

 I ran to my wife and said, "Ain forgive me what I'm about to do, but I'm about to give our people a fighting chance goodbye" I left for the surface. I wasn't too surprised to see an entire army surrounding the area. I put the hood of my Cloak up. I activated it; I then began to transform. The power inside my body was overwhelming, surging more and more soon I took the form of a Titanoboa. Still, I was massive. I learned that Fiona was only 42 feet tall; I was taller by a large margin. I quickly unleashed a fearsome roar that spread fear into the Humans. Then I began my attack; I destroyed numerous encampments forcing them to flee in every direction. Today my people were now safe.

After three years of conflict with me fighting the Humans and their stolen war machines, they finally gave up. I kept in contact with Talibah and Ain via telepathy granted to me by this form. My people could fix the Kingdom. I had learned that my wife had given birth to twins; Their names were Baako and Braheem; the two boys resemble my first form. It warms my heart to hear this news. It makes me want to work harder. In recent days Talibah tells me that the entire Kingdom will be evacuated. I have been asked to assault Cairo afterward; I will take residence in the abandoned Viper Kingdom until I'm needed again.

My assault on Cairo begins tomorrow. I am prepared for the great wave of loneliness this will cause, but it will be a willing sacrifice. I know my people will live on.

Right now, it is almost sunrise, and I can hear the Pallio transport machines preparing to take everyone away. When my people leave, I shall indeed be alone. It's going to be rough, but I might have a chance to kill Hager, the man who started this madness. Once he dies, I will find peace for those who have been killed due to his schemes. I will end him personally; five hours have passed, and the Viper Kingdom has slowly fallen silent. Now it was time for me to perform my mission. I slithered to Cairo. The travel was strenuous, but I didn't let the sun's heat get to me. I knew this was what I had to do.

I came close to Cairo, and I attacked without mercy. I was filled with uncontrollable rage for everything these Humans did. First, they steal away my mother and kill her. They uproot my home and force my people to flee when they try again. They continue to raid and badger my subjects. They deserve no mercy. In two days, I had brought down all of Cairo. My mission was complete; some of the survivors scattered like mice deep into the desert. I returned to the place where my transformation started; I slithered into that giant hole. I curled up, waiting for my next orders. Time passed, and days turned into months, and in those months, I began to dream; in a short amount of time, I felt my consciousness leave my body, and I found myself in another world. 

I found that I had reverted to my human form in this new world cloaked in the twilight. I walked for miles until I came across a temple. I walked inside it, and I saw a lone person standing there; she was dressed as a priestess, and when she turned around, I saw that it was Fiona. I quickly bowed to respect her. Fiona nodded and said, "Amal, this is no time to bow before me rise. We have much to discuss." 

Fiona then helped me up off the ground and led me by the hand. Fiona told me that this place was known as Paradise, the birthplace of the Pallio race. I was curious, and Fiona explained that the true origin of the Pallio lies in another realm that was slowly dying. The Pallio survived this fate by transferring their minds, souls, and genetics to humans on Earth. This Temple was acting as the conduit that Transferred us there. 

I immediately asked more questions, and Fiona happily provided answers. "This world's ecosystem started to deteriorate at a rapid pace we slowly ran out of food, and a war started for the food that was left many lives were lost in the conflict our greatest minds ended the war by proposing a transfer to another world." 

Fiona then went on to explain the process in which the Temple was constructed. First, it was built out of the remaining material left; second, it had to be programmed, and coordinates to Earth were locked in place, then the AI set the transfer in motion. It was slow at first, but as the human population grew, more Pallios could be transferred after some time. Some Pallio couldn't make the journey due to a glitch in the system. Fiona then directed me to the Archive of this Temple. I found so much information about Paradise; this world, when it was in its prime, had developed a way to cross the stars in ships with an odd design. The architecture of this world was also unlike anything I've ever seen, and apparently, the animals that couldn't transform were incredibly unique looking.

I learned so much I slowly started to memorize all this information, but then it made me think about Fiona how she was living here. I quickly went looking for her to get some answers, and I couldn't find her wherever I looked, so I decided to call out to Fiona. She appeared behind me, causing me to jump from fear. When I calmed my nerves, I talked to Fiona, mainly asking how she could have lived in this lonely world for so long. Fiona looked down and said: "Amal, what you see before you is an energy construct the real Fiona, as well as the other Leading Pallio, are down below using their thoughts and eternal lives to power this temple."

Fiona explained that this Temple was powered by the Ancient Pallio, who received everlasting life by the Supreme Beast. This entity was the creator of all things in Paradise, but he vanished from this world, and then things started to fall apart, but the Supreme Beast granted immortality to those he trusted to watch over this world. Those people were currently maintaining the Temple, and honestly, it made me sad I could have been born here. Still, I wouldn't have been the same I went back to the archive. I went back to studying; in a matter of days, I had memorized every piece of a valuable Fragment of information that was lost to us when we went to Earth. I then asked Fiona to send me back to my body. She nodded her head, and soon I was floating, traveling through the stars and past the void until I came to my body.

With the information I now possessed, I was able to discover that Talibah was mistaken. The Titanoboa form is not permanent; it just takes an incredible strain on your will to turn back to your human form. I took a deep breath, and I was able to shrink down and return to my human form. I was in great pain as the process came to an end, but I ignored it and began looking through the rubble to find something I could use; I found a dagger. It was better than nothing; I spat some Venom onto the blade and wrote the Pallio symbol for enhancement. Then I waited, and after a few minutes, I saw that the dagger changed inform it now had a green glow. The blade had bent slightly to resemble a snake fang, so the archive was current Snake Pallios can alter weapons with their venom. This Modification technique was good to know. I managed to scrape some food and water that was still good then I decided to leave Egypt once and for all.

I went up to the surface and walked out into the desert; trying to leave this infernal place behind me, I endured the cruel, unrelenting sun. I refused to give in to the horrible cold that plagued me every night; I even had to fight several bandits. Still, they were not prepared for my dagger. After five months of travel, I found myself at a port town where I managed to get work as a sailor. It was a good deal. I could travel the world quickly, and I could work to make money.

Though I had no idea what I was doing, I quickly learned over time. At one of the ports, I heard rumors of a massive group of strange Egyptians heading north. This information piqued my interest because they could be Pallio, my people who could be alive and nearby. I had to know I gave up my job and went in search of the Pallio. I quickly purchased a map and started heading North I was able to get a horse, and I rode to the North, searching for any sign of my people.

I traveled for twelve days. I had found some signs of my Peoples tracks like campsites and forgotten jewelry. I saw some bandits attack at every camp, but luckily, my people could defend themselves. Still, I wouldn't be content until I saw my family. While traveling, I encountered many troubles, mainly with other bandits assaulting humans. My hatred for the humans was still unwavering. Still, at the same time, these people that were being attacked were simple farmers and people who wished to live a peaceful life, so I acted without thinking. I began to strike at Bandits with my dagger. By doing this, I had unintentionally built up a good rapport with the Villagers, something I hated and I didn't even want. Still, my hunger and other senses were incredibly weak. I begrudgingly agreed, and I started to rest with the villagers. I only wanted to stay for two weeks after that; I left and continued on my people's trail.

As I traveled, I saw more and more villages under siege by bandits, and I had no choice but to help them. As I saved villagers, word of my deeds spread far and wide, and the humans started helping me. I felt a little better. Still, one day I gained information that a group of Egyptian Refugees had created a settlement in the eastern woods. This information was the most fantastic news I heard all year.

I quickly gathered my supplies and headed to the eastern woods witch were fifty miles away. I eventually said goodbye to my horse, and I traveled the rest of the way to my destination on foot. While I was traveling, I heard several bandits stalking me from afar. I was prepared to fight. After all, there were several Bandit groups I had come across in my travels. I had taken care of most of their troops.

What did I have to fear? I took a deep breath, and soon I made it to the Eastern Woods. I quickly looked around the area, and I found a mark on one of the trees. This mark was in the shape of a snake. I smiled because this was the mark of the Cobra Pallio. I went deeper into the forest, and I found more patterns. After the twenty-third mark, I quickly felt a familiar presence. It felt like home, but an arrow flew by my head as I was about to proceed. I turned around. 

I saw a hoard of Bandits, each from a different clan. It would seem they wanted revenge for their fallen comrades. I took out my dagger, and I began to fight them all, but halfway through the fight, I became exhausted from the constant attacks being thrown at me. I was forced onto my knees, and I realized I had no other option. I had to use my Cloak. I quickly put it on and began to transform after I transformed; I ate the entire bandit hoard one by one. When the last of the Bandits had run off, I removed my Cloak. I fell to my knees, still exhausted from all I had gone through; I passed out. When I woke up, I was in a bed. I looked around the room. I saw many objects made by Pallio, like advanced medical equipment. I didn't see any distinct markings on the walls to indicate what Pallio tribe was here. Still, someone came into the room. A man dressed in strange clothes was a mixture of robes and Egyptian attire, but a closer inspection revealed not a single ounce of skin.

The Pallio smiled at me and said. "I have to say we all believed you were lost to us, your majesty." I was surprised by what he said and instantly spoke up, saying, "so does this mean I'm home? Did I make it?" The Pallio looked over at me and said. "Yes, your majesty, you are home. I sent word to your family, and they will be here soon. Until then, you need lots of bed rest" I took a deep and began to relax. This warm and familiar feeling was all I wanted; I had reached my goal; what more could I want. 

I looked out the window and saw that this community was thriving even though we were far off from our native land, and it was the middle of Winter. The site of my people was beautiful. I had missed so much that I felt I might not be able to connect with my family. As I was deep in thought, I didn't even notice that the door opened to my room and then I felt eyes on me. I looked up and saw my wife holding two toddlers in her arms. I smiled. The two toddlers hid their faces from me. Ain smiled and came over and said, "boys, this is your Father" the two boys came out of hiding. Baako was the first to show his face. He then slowly reached out to me, and I picked him up. I hugged Baako tight and close.

Baako smiled and said, "Hi Daddy" I smile at the mere mention of the five-letter word Braheem then came around, and soon I was holding both boys in my arms. The sight of my family was the most significant moment of my life after this first encounter. Ain brought the kids by every day, then when I was finally released, I was able to see what the community was like. There was a steel wall surrounding the community, and there were lanterns that decorated the streets. The buildings had the same style as seen in Paradise. The technology from Paradise was all over the community was the same as in Paradise. 

When I was in Paradise, I mainly studied engineering and chemistry, so I knew I had something to add when I got home. I then devoted myself to playing with my sons. They were pleased about it, and I had learned that Ain had become a well-known pharmacist. I was proud of her for right now. I chose to be the stay-at-home dad my boys needed. 

The next day my wife had left for work, and I got dressed, and I went to wake up Baako and Braheem. I got both boys dressed. I made breakfast, albeit rather poorly. I then started to clean the house. At the same time, the boys played in the living room. After cleaning the entire house, I took Baako and Braheem out for a trip around town. I wanted to see what this new place offered us. I saw a whole market district, business district, and farm district they had built so much I was happy I then asked about the humans. Many of the Pallio I had encountered said that the humans were not a concern, thanks to the Pallio Grand Council. I then inquired more. They noted that the Pallio Grand Council had sent their most brilliant architects to us, and they built this community.

I smiled. It would seem that I'm not the only Pallio to visit Paradise. I sighed and took my two sons home. I was curious about who was running this community. When Ain got home, she told me that Talibah was running this place. Knowing that Talibah gave me some relief because I knew Talibah was the best leader for us, I smiled. I started preparing dinner for I decided to make a simple soup. I made the soup with chopped beef with broth and a few mixed vegetables, I know. Still, my cooking skills are lacking because I had never cooked anything without assistance before.

I served the food to everyone, and we sat down to eat the kids seemed to like the soup; however, Ain was not as thrilled. I apologized for the meal, and Ain smiled and said, "it's okay, hun" after dinner, The boys and I spent the evening with Ain telling us about her day. She told me she had made over one hundred types of medication. There is barely any type of disease that her medicines can't cure. It was interesting to hear about, but Ain began to ask me about the travels. I smiled and said that I have been protecting villages from Bandit attacks. I also explained that my reputation had spread around Ain smiled. She was happy that I could set aside my hatred for humans enough to help them, and I said that I was doing what's right.

The following weeks that I spent with my family were joyous. On occasion, I would see the hunting teams come back with several wild games to cook, while in the business district, I saw a lot of merchandise being made and sold. They looked incredibly unique. I eventually got a job as a chemist in a local lab; I could work from home. Working from home makes things much easier; I had to watch the boys and do my work. It was relatively simple, but I heard that a representative from the Grand Council was coming one day. I made a call to Talibah, and I asked if I could sit in on the meeting. She agreed, but I had to say Talibah looked incredibly different. Her hair had turned completely white, and her face was filled with Wrinkles. She told me that the stress had lead to her aging rapidly. It made me sad to see her this way, but she sounded like she was doing better now. 

I went home and got dressed in my best suit. Then I walked to Talibah's residence. I looked over and saw that the Representative was already there. She had long golden hair and a white bow in her hair. She was wearing a long white gown that resembled western, southern bells dress. She smiled at me, and I sat next to Talibah "hello, my name is Alexandria. I am a Canary Pallio in service of the Grand Pallio Council. I work as a diplomat and informant of sorts, but now I am here to be your window to the world beyond this community."

Alexandria then pulled out some papers from her purse and put on some reading glasses. Alexandria then went into great detail about the other Pallio Tribes and even the human world. Cairo's destruction has been the talk of the whole world, and humans who escaped the attack are seeking refuge wherever they can find it; either way, they are trying to rebuild like us. Another vital interest was that the Cheetah Pallio tribe was under attack by the group that wanted to end them, so Hager might still be active. The news of Hager's conquest sent a chill up my spine; the final thing to discuss was the recent inventions that had been made. Everything on that list sounded amazing but what had piqued my interest was the electric tool/weapon series. 

This new line sounded terrific. I instantly said, "where can I purchase one" Alexandria smiled and laughed and said that The Pallio Grand Council would distribute the tools next month. I was excited; it was like I was a kid again; the meeting ended, and Alexandria went outside and put on her Cloak. Alexandria then transformed into a small canary bird and flew away; she was so nice and friendly it was sweet. I started to make my way home; it was getting dark. The snow began to fall. I looked up and smiled; the moon just made the snow seem so much prettier when I got home. My family was asleep; I went upstairs, and I laid next to my wife and slept. 

The next few years seemed to fly by. I completely watched Baako and Braheem reach their teenage years at an alarming rate. I had made them cloaks as is the tradition. I took them out hunting several times, but I also taught them about my father and fighting. We were spared against one another for several weeks, and they even managed to trump me. It was a massive blow to my pride. Still, I was beaming; I had never been so happy to be put on the ground. I celebrated by taking my kids to the smithy to make custom scimitars. 

While we were walking, we heard a loud sound, and when we looked up, we saw an airship overhead, and they were dropping troops. I told my sons to get somewhere safe. They weren't ready for a real fight Braheem was stubborn; he wanted to fight alongside me, but he was still too new at this. The guards came, and I noticed that they had strange guns in their hands. I didn't care; I grabbed my dagger and Scimitar and charged in, and I was quickly taking down these Soldiers. 

The only tricky part about this fight was avoiding the gunfire from the guards. It was tough, but I managed when the war was coming to an end, something bigger fell from the sky. It was three times bigger than the other troops, but I refused to give in.

I stabbed and sliced at this behemoth, but I was doing tiny damage hell. The gunfire was leaving a better impact than my blades. The giant Soldiers then pushed me into a wall so hard I began to cough up blood. I was in so much pain a medic walks over to me and begins to tend to my wounds. I try to get back up, but the medic tells me to stay where I am, and I stay put, but I watch as this giant Soldiers slowly begins to be taken down by the guards. When the fight reached its conclusion, I saw the guards take the giant Soldiers away. I questioned the medic about where they were taking the Soldiers. The medic told me that our local engineer would examine the Soldiers and transform him into a Golem to help protect us. After I heard all that, I stayed silent because this new settlement was different from what I was used to. So many things have changed, and I wasn't sure how to handle it.

Once the treatment has been applied, the medic left, and I went to find my kids. Baako and Braheem were helping civilians who were caught up in the attack. I went to see Talibah; I had to report this to her. I found Talibah in her home. She was busy with some paperwork. I knocked on the door and said, "excuse me, Talibah, I came to report the recent attack" Talibah looked up and said, "I already know I am working on a construction request. Can you please transport the wounded to the doctor please" I saluted Talibah and did as instructed; there were very few casualties, thank goodness, but I wasn't adjusting to this new modern age.

When my task was complete, I returned home. The rest of the evening was calm, but before I went to bed, a messenger said that Talibah required my service. I went to Talibah's home, and I walked into her office Talibah smiled and said, "Amal seeing your face is always a delight, but I called you here is for another purpose." 

"Talibah, you seem off. Are you okay?" I asked Talibah stood up weakly and said: "Amal, my friend, I have contracted a terrible illness. This illness has spread to many other Pallios. They are trying to make a cure, but the reason I called you here is that I have a request from the Pallio Grand Council have told me that your Titanoboa blood is needed for an experiment." 

"What would this experiment be about?" I asked, feeling concerned. "The Experiment involves using eldritch Titanoboa blood to help create artificial Soldiers. I am told that these Soldiers will be called Enigmas." As the conversation went on, I learned that the Pallio Grand Council has been advancing on the Traitors, attacking every outpost they create and interrogating prisoners that they captured. Still, several Pallio Tribes have been wholly decimated in the process, so to avoid any more Casualties, the Pallio Grand Council has decided to create the Enigmas to fight in this war to prevent any more loss of life I agreed.

Then I was told a group of knights would take me to the Cathedral of Knowledge in Russia. I was told it would be freezing. I then left Talibah's home on good terms. I then walked home but what followed was me spending time with my family and relaxing. The knights came in June, and they took me to Russia via submarine. I was nervous about everything that was going on; I wondered what they would do to me. They just needed my blood, but how much blood that the question the ride was very long. I ran out of stuff to talk about with the knights, but we made it, and when we reached the surface, we got on a caravan. We went so far into Russia, far away from any tone or village, and we stopped once we came to an old cathedral. I stepped out of the caravan, and I felt the icy wind; it was horrible. 

We got inside, and it was still just as cold as the outside. The knights alerted me to a secret passage leading to a massive underground laboratory. There were many Pallio down there; a majority of them were from the Deer Tribe. The Soldiers took me to the lead scientist. Her name was Roselin; she was a Rabbit Pallio, but I didn't judge. Roselin explained that my blood contained a particular chemical that held the same property as a uterus. They learned this from an old text written by a deceased member of the Pallio Grand Council.

I took a deep breath and inquired as to how they would gain my blood. Roselin said that I would need to put on my Cloak, make a small cut in my Titanoboa body, and get my blood that way; as long as they didn't bleed me dry, I would be fine. Roselin took me to a large enclosure that was big enough to fit me, and I put on my clean, and I grew until I was a Titanoboa. After a few seconds, the scientists came in, and they made a slit in my underbelly, and my blood came out. They gathered my blood and left the room. I took a breath, and I began to listen to the sounds around me; with my telepathy, I heard and kept up with the creation of the Enigmas. 

I listened for months, and soon, months turned into years. The Scientists and I spent the first 20 years of experimentation in failure. Many Enigma's had to be put down because The Egnigmas couldn't control them. I felt terrible for them; after all, they were a piece of me, and I could hear their mental screams. It brought me down; I was depressed for some time, but I started hearing a breakthrough in the research, and the first perfect Enigma was different from the rest. He was peaceful; he still had offensive capabilities, but he was interested in education, and the Scientists were willing to teach. More Enigmas were born, and they were all educated in the current situation and Pallio history; it was interesting.

Then the scientists put the Enigmas through a trial run. The test was to capture a flag from trained Pallio Soldiers; from what I heard, the trial run was a success. However, there were some hiccups and what followed was a series of enhancements. The subsequent trial run was a smashing success. The Enigmas were willing to help us as long we gave them their freedom. I thought it was a good deal and what followed was the Scientists draining me of more blood. I was fading in and out of consciousness until, ultimately, I was out cold. When I woke up, I was in my human form, and I stood up and realized I was in a bed. Roselin sat next to me and said: "Hey Amal, I'm glad you woke up. I wanted to say thank you" I sat up and said, "I'm glad I could help, but what happens next?" Roselin explained that the Enigmas were going to be trained by various Pallio tribes to master every form of combat.

I was relieved Roselin helped me out of the medical bed. Still, then I was knocked to the floor by a massive explosion. I got up quickly and rushed out of the room. I saw a hole in the ceiling, and from it came humans and Pallio Traitors. They were clad in strange armor, but that didn't deter me. I grabbed my dagger and Scimitar and began to rush in and fight. Many scientists had seized at least some form of weaponry, a gun, and they joined me.

The Traitors were incredibly tough in this armor. It was so thick I could barely make a dent, but I kept on fighting. I just had to be more tactical; I noticed a gap in the armor; it was the neck. It was utterly exposed, so now I knew what I had to do; I began to dodge attacks that were coming at me. I sliced so many throats here and there. I was getting exhausted, and there were too many enemies; they just kept coming. Still, if I fail now, I won't be able to see my family. A deep-rooted primal instinct quickly overtook me. I clutched the dagger in my hand and began to dash towards the oncoming Soldiers; my blood began to rush all I saw was green. I was violently killing the Soldiers in a way I had done before I even killed the Scientists as they came close to me, and I couldn't help but let out a sickening smile as I continued to stab, slice and slash at their necks. I was on a rampage. 

It took all my strength to get me to stop, but I finally fell to my knees and panted heavily. I looked up at the sky; as I began to calm down, I dropped my weapons and just sat there. After ten hours, I stood up, but I looked around the area and saw that bloody corpses surrounded me. I was scared of what I had done in my Titanoboa form. I was doing it for vengeance and stalling so that the fighting would stop.

 This time the bodies were unrecognizable. They all had pained expressions on their faces, but what scared me the most was that I also killed other Pallio, and I enjoyed it. Roselin came over to me with armed guards at her side. I turned myself in, and the guards took me away; they took me back to the submarine. This time I was in chains, a very powerful shock collar wrapped around my throat. 

I sat in a cell, and when the ride was over, they took me out of the cell and escorted me onto the surface. I quickly realized that I was on an island in the middle of the sea. I was escorted through the jungle and to a large building. I was too wrapped with guilt to say or do anything, so I just accepted whatever happened to me. The guards took me inside the building. I suspected that this was the Pallio Grand Council building I was lead into a large room. To my surprise, there were many Pallio in well-dressed attire. Five cloaked Pallio were sitting at a large podium; they were each hidden so that I couldn't make out their faces, but they didn't transform, so I assumed they weren't wearing their Pallio Cloaks.

The in the center stood up and said, "the court is now in session. Today's trial will determine the fate of Titanoboa Pallio Amal, who has committed the crime of Murder on several well-beloved Pallio Scientists, which would be a crime worthy of death. however, due to Amal's service to the Pallio Empire, we have decided to grant him a fair trial before the Council now Amal, how do you plead."

I looked up and said, "I honestly plead guilty for the crimes I have committed. I deserve any punishment you put down on me" another member of the Council stood up. She had a somewhat feminine voice and said. "I can see why you wish to hang your head low and give in, but now is not the time. This oncoming war will drag every Pallio into the depths of bloodshed, and you, Amal, are one of the strongest warriors we have. It would be a shame to condemn you now I vote that we Pardon Amal" there was talk among the Council members for several seconds until one of the Council members on the far right stood up and said, "I agree that Amal is a powerful asset to this coming war. However, he still murdered many valuable Scientists that cannot be overlooked. I vote we put Amal on probation until the end of the war. Then he is to be arrested and put to death."

The Council put the last motion to a vote, and it was three to two. Like that it was over, I would be placed on probation until the end of the war. I was allowed to go to my home to be with my family. That didn't last long because the Grand Pallio Council called all of the remaining Kingdoms together for our safety. So we all were evacuated and taken to the large mountain that was sticking out of the ocean. When we got inside, it was an incredibly massive bunker with incredible technology, the type of technology I saw back in Paradise. I assumed that this was the first place our ancestors colonized several Pallio told me in the Bunker that this Bunker was meant to be a last resort if our numbers declined. 

I took a deep breath as my Tribe was lead to our section of the Bunker. It was going to be an extended stay. I was asked to join a meeting with Talibah. When we entered the large chamber, I saw so many esteemed Pallio sitting around this massive table. We all remained silent until the Pallio Grand Council appeared. They sat at the head of the table and debriefed us on everything from what they told us. We learned the humans and the Traitors have stolen technology from the fallen kingdoms and were using them to develop their weapons that were much stronger than our own; This caused some panic among us.

 I should note that the attacked Pallio Kingdoms possessed some of the most significant technology our kind had. The Council decided to let us know that we were going up against our own weaponry. Also, as it turned, this Bunker came with a worldwide EMP for the sole purpose of bringing down stolen Pallio Technology. Still, it was just a thought, but what if the Traitors had a way of countering our EMP? I mean, they have been careful and organized; the humans haven't been acting out of impulse. When they attacked my Tribe, they had a goal. They forced us to evacuate towards the Viper Pallio Tribe, so I was feeling uneasy about this. 

Before the meeting came to a close, we were all told we would be attacking at dawn. I returned to my family, and we spent time exploring the Bucker. There were several labs, and there were even facilities to accommodate livestock. We could live peacefully down here, but some could lose their minds down here. There were no windows, no way to see the outside world, so I can see why this Bunker is used as a last resort. When the clock hit 8 pm, we all went to bed, and I started to get a strange dream. I was back in Paradise, and there was Fiona; she was saying something, but I couldn't make it out than she sent something into me; it started to hurt, it burned so much. I then woke up; there was still a pain in my chest, and I had to get up to get some fresh air. I walked outside to the plaza of the Bunker, and I could still feel the pain.

I started panting incredibly fast, and after a while, I passed out; guards found me. A few moments later, the guards took me to a medical facility where the doctors tried to do everything they could to wake me up. I heard that my vitals were all fine. Still, this heat building in my chest was growing hotter and hotter by the second. After a few minutes, you could see a red circle on my chest pulsating more and more. Still, by this point, the Doctors didn't know what to do.

To make matters worse, the Bunker was under attack the Pallio were all in a panic. The Soldiers rushed to their battle stations, the guards evacuated the noncombatants to safety and locked everything down. All I could do was just lay there. I wanted to fight this with everything I had. Still, I couldn't move my body. No matter what I did, I couldn't get my body to move. Still, it was the Council who held them together and got everyone to do their jobs. 

So I gave up and let the heat envelop my whole body. This heat surged through every vain I had. It felt like my body was going to melt. My stasis lasted for several hours, but I could open my eyes, and I started to get off the table. I then realized that my body was completely different from it was before. My body was now a glistening silver color, and my hair was longer and was incredibly white. I ran out of the medical bay, and I saw that the Pallio Soldiers were struggling against the enemy. 

I rushed into battle without my dagger, and I began to fight all who stood in my way. The enemy in front of me quickly made for a retreat. I ran to another section to aid more Soldiers before I could force a retreat, which continued for the remaining areas. When everyone was safe, the Pallio Grand Council gathered everyone in the plaza. They said that this was going to be the last fight for everything. 

The Pallio Grand Council told us that the Enigma's were already stationed at checkpoints designated Soldiers. I knew what this meant, so I went to Ain and my sons, and I told them that they are the sole reason I fight and that I loved them dearly. Then I left them; I kept telling myself that this was for them. I repeated that phrase over and over until I made it to the warships. Once we all boarded, we went to certain parts of the world where the Traitors had set up their bases. The Generals sent our ship to America. I held my Scimitar tightly in my hands. I would create a world where peace would shine brightly free from those horrid humans, the end of all their misdeeds. Yet, I still had felt that something was off. Looking through my memories, every time I fought a human, they were covered from head to toe in armor, and they didn't scream, and the way they moved was stiff and rigid, almost like machine's movements than their blood it had an odd color.

Did humans cause those past attacks?

End of Chapter

Chapter 4.

It was nightfall when we reached America. The doors quickly opened, and we charged out of the ship; the cannons shot energy bolts towards the nearby cities, and as expected, the Humans had set up a defense expecting us. The Humans had assembled in a defensive formation with guns held in their hands. The Humans shot at us, but they could have never guessed what was coming to them. The Bunker released the EMP disabling the Machines; this gave us a chance to break into the city and attack. We took down the Traitor Soldiers and attacking Humans, but this didn't feel right; the Humans didn't seem to have any advanced technology like the Council said they would. All their weapons were outdating, running on a substance called gun powder. I stopped in my tracks and removed a mask from one of the Traitor's faces, and I saw that the Traitor wasn't even a Pallio. It was a machine; I was perplexed I tried to bring this news to other soldiers' attention. The soldiers just gave me a weird stare like it was no big surprise that they were machines. Still, since they were machines, why didn't the EMP stop them? I took a closer look at one of the Traitor's bodies, and I discovered that its core was a living heart that was slowly dying. I assumed that this heart came from a human, but why did the Council lie to us.

Not that it mattered. The Soldiers were already set on killing the Humans. Even though it went against the Council, I chose to save what I could. I ran faster to avoid the Soldiers better, and I found several humans who were scared of me at first, but I defended them against the oncoming soldiers. I guided them to safety. I did this for at least fifteen families, and I was quickly getting tired. 

As I was returning to the city to try and save more people, I came across a plaza where I saw a man surrounded by several Pallio Soldiers. I came close, and the fight began. The man in the middle of the battle was avoiding attacks like a master. 

No one could land a hit on him, and he then jumped up into the air and shot down a flurry of silver arrows that had killed everyone. When the man came back down, I got a closer look at this man. He had silver eyes and wore a white and red robe with a flame pattern on it. His hair was tied in a ponytail, and he noticed me and came over and said, "so you have also been to Paradise and received Fiona's blessing. I am Hager, and you are?" I was shocked this was Hager this incredibly. I then said my name was Amal, and Hager smiled before pulling out a device from his sleeve and pushing a button than I looked up and saw a machine floating above the Town. It quickly sent out a pulse, and then I heard screams. The flouting machine must have incapacitated the Pallio Soldiers.

.

All except for me, Hager took a deep breath and said: "So I take it that since you didn't attack me, you must know that you have been lied to by the Council. Who claimed that this was the only option" I nodded my head. Hager led me to a large building where we met an exceptionally well-dressed man when he saw Hager. He smiled, but then he turned to me, and his expression changed to fear.

"Calm down, Mayer. This man is the same as me. He has accepted the Gift of Fiona, and he knows the truth" the Mayor was able to calm down. Then Hager said, "the Barrier is back online, so now we should worry about giving the deceased a proper funeral and attending to the wounded." the Mayor agreed and soon got on his phone to call someone. Hager then led me to another part of the building and said, "so I think I owe you an explanation for what has happened, so where should I start…."

Hager took a deep breath and said that his Pallio Tribe had denounced the leadership of the Pallio Grand Council and succeeded to try and become a free nation. They had even abandoned their old traditions in favor of starting new ones. Hager's Tribe had prospered with the newfound freedom they had managed to master transformation without the need of Cloaks.

I was amazed by this, but then I asked what his animal counterpart was. Hager chuckled and said that since his Tribe no longer needed Cloaks, they had developed the freedom to transform into many animals. Still, the Pallio Grand Council disapproved of their newfound freedom and thought it was a crime of blasphemy. Hence, they sent an army to exterminate Hager's Tribe Hager only escaped because his Mother hid him in a crate heading towards a human settlement. 

A childless couple then adopted Hager, and they lived happily for a time, but Hager wanted to travel the World. Hager eventually found another Pallio tribe. He lived with the Tribe until the Pallio Grand Council sent an army to burn it down; Hager got confused and asked the survivors for information. Hager learned that the Council was entirely corrupt; the Council wanted complete control of the World, spreading propaganda that the humans were attacking Pallio Tribes and stealing their technology. When in reality, it was the Council exterminating tribes that wanted to secede from the Council, then they used the stolen technology to create robots to raid Pallio Tribes and obliterate all who lived there. At first, they only chose tribes that held great technology, but then they started attacking anyone who tried to claim independence and blamed the attacks on the Humans.

Hager than left to aid Humanity against the threat of the Pallio Grand Council, he made machines that could protect the Humans. Sadly though, the Pallio Grand Council started abducting humans and using them in their twisted experiments.

Hager finished his story, and I couldn't believe what I just heard all this time. All this time, my hatred for Humanity was the only thing that leads me, but it was just a lie set up by the Council. I then stood up and said, "Hager, I can't take this. I want to help you. Now that I think more about it, this war is being driven by hate, and I want no part in it."

Hager smiled and said, "Of course you're going to help me. I really can't let you go back to the Bunker the way you are now" I had a look of determination on my face, and Hager shared my expression. Hager then leads me to a bedroom, and I went inside to rest. After everything that I just learned, all I had were thoughts. I wondered how long the Council had been corrupt; it had to be for a long time for them to plan all this out. I knew most of my people hated Humanity, but I didn't think it went as far as the Council I went to bed. I woke up in the morning, and I went downstairs. I saw Hager talking to the Mayor. I came closer. I noticed that Hager was talking about the other attacks worldwide. 

There were more significant casualties in other nations. Hager suggested that we bring the other countries to us and bring their satellites as well. That way, they can combine their strength to protect everyone better. The Mayor agreed he said he would have to make some calls. Hager looked at me and said that we were going for a walk around the city. This walk gave me time to ask some questions. The first question I asked was whether or not Hager attacked the Bunker? Hager shook his head no, claiming that he didn't have the resources to attack the Bunker. My next question was how long has Hager been protecting the humans, and Hager told me that he has been protecting the Humans for at least 30 years. 

Hager then asked me how far I was willing to go to bring peace to the World. I didn't know how to respond to that question, then Hager informed me that the Council would do anything to stop me, even if it meant killing my family. I was shocked by this information but considering what the Council had already done. I knew that I would have to let my loved ones go if it came down to it. This thought struck me to my very soul, and in my mind, the idea of my family being murdered was slowly starting to eat away at me. Hager put his hand on my shoulder and gave me a warm smile saying, "we'll stop them before it even gets to that, ok" I found a lot of warmth in Hager's words; I could tell Hager had been through a lot worse than I have, but he still could comfort me it was amazing. 

I knew I had to make it up to these humans, so I helped them rebuild their Town, and I helped Hager construct a new sentinel. This one was far more advanced than anything the Council could conceive. We performed several tests, and the sentinel proved more successful in passing the Hardest of challenges. I also aided the Humans by empowering their armor and weapons. I even instructed them on how to use their newfound tools, so things were looking up.

Then after ten days, another attack on the Humans started this time; the Humans were prepared. Hager asked me to watch from on high and told me that I could only observe the Battlefield. I nodded. He also said he'd send a silver Arrow flying towards the Mayor's estate when he needed me. I agreed and watched as the humans followed Hager into battle, and with my support, the humans held their own against the Pallio Soldiers. From my viewpoint, I could see many villagers drive back waves of Pallio with the help of the sentinels. However, I felt the EMP wave shot throughout the World. The Sentinels were quickly disabled. I sighed, and I then saw the silver arrow strike the house. I ran towards the Town. I pulled out my scimitar, and I began to fight with all I had.

Several soldiers spotted me, and some ran off to report my newfound traitor status to the Pallio Grand Council. I could only imagine what they would do to my family, so I followed them and snuck aboard the ship. I wanted to rescue my family before any harm came to them when we arrived at the Bunker. I snuck around looking for my family when I got to their room. I saw that my family was already being taken to the Bunker's Prison; I followed them slowly. When the guards left, I approached my family Ain and my sons Baako and Braheem. I explained what was going on. I started to bust them out of the cell. I succeeded, and I began to sneak my family out of the Bunker, and just before we could board a ship, several soldiers ambushed us. 

I was in a bind because Ain couldn't fight, and there were too many. Even if my sons aided me, we would be quickly overwhelmed before the fight started. One Pallio Grand Council came before us; he removed his hood, revealing that he was bald, and Scales covered half of his face. He smiled and said, "so you've become a traitor to your kind Amal. How disappointing you had so much promise you still have a chance to come back to us, Amal." 

I held my blade up high and said, "you and the Council have lied to us. The humans had no intention of fighting us. They didn't even have a reliable way of defending themselves. I refuse to be a part of this mindless bloodshed. I will put an end to the Council if it's the last thing I do."

With that, the fight began. I allowed my sons to help me with this task, and we were starting to get overwhelmed. Our backs were to the wall, and we had to think fast. Ain then stepped in front of the soldiers, and she turned towards us with a sad and somewhat nostalgic smile on her face. 

Ain then pulled a grenade. She pulled the pin and began rushing towards the soldiers. My heart was beating incredibly fast because Ain was sacrificing herself to save all she loved. My sons felt the same way the Soldiers quickly intercepted Ain, and while they were distracted, I led them to one of the boats. We escaped while the boat was speeding away from the Bunker. We heard the explosion from the grenade. My heart shattered to pieces. The boat ride was silent, that is until Braheem stood up and said: "Father, how could you leave Mother there? You could have done anything. Why did you stay silent" I kept piloting the boat and said, "Braheem, I know how you feel. I am hurting too, but I promise your Mother was only thinking of ways to save us, and sacrificing herself was her way of giving us a chance to end this madness."

Braheem sat down and stayed silent; meanwhile, I was screaming at myself, repeating, "it should have been me!" These thoughts plagued my mind over and over and over. We eventually reached the mainland my sons and I got off the boat and found Hager, who smiled at us and took us to the Mayor's estate. The four of us began talking about the future attacks. Our strategy Braheem stayed completely silent while Baako was providing some good ideas. Hager smiled; he thought about it and decided to make Baako our tactician. 

I looked over at Braheem, and he was looking away from us, and after a bit, he left the meeting room. I knew I had to talk to him. I couldn't leave him like this; when the meeting concluded, I went after Braheem, but I couldn't find him anywhere. He had disappeared entirely; for now, I helped the humans train for the future attacks. Still, the strangest thing that happened was the Pallio Grand Council hadn't sent any armies our way. Hager thought this was suspicious. Still, the humans took this chance to celebrate, believing that the war was over. Hager advised against this sort of celebration. Still, the Mayor didn't listen and instead continued to prepare for the festival. Hager became infuriated by the Mayor's lack of hindsight. 

Hager Baako and I were still vigilant, but days soon turned into months, and months turned into years. The Pallio Grand Council made no moves on Humanity. With this extended silence, the humans could rebuild their cities and lives even I began to relax—eventually, Hager Baako and I were greeted with very cold and bitter gazes. Even though the Humans were thankful to us for aiding them, it would seem that this age of peace has started to cloud their opinion of us. The Humans thought of us as a cold reminder of why the war ruined their lives in the first place. We were eventually sent away from the Mayor's home, and The Humans brought down Hager's technology. Hager led my son and me to a house on the outskirts of Town, where we made our base. 

The Humans continued to pester us even though we were far away from their city. They either defaced our home or pelted us with rocks. Hager seemed unfazed by this, but Baako witnessed the full extent of human hatred. I reassured him that this wasn't last because I knew that the Pallio Grand Council was only biding their time. On the night of the celebration, the unthinkable happened a warship docked at the beach, launching cannons at the Town. The three of us ran into the Town and began to fight the Soldiers. The humans quickly joined us. Still, I felt nothing but contempt for their actions, but I couldn't focus on that now.

I ran ahead and transformed into my Titanoboa form. I began to constrict around the warship crushing it until it was inoperable but on the horizon were even more warships, at least over a dozen of them. They protected the Town from the cannons, but Hager saw that several cities that did not have the protection of any satellites. The other cities were still being destroyed, which means that some cities were already gone. There was so much, no matter how many ships I managed to take down. Several Soldiers were still able to reach the shore and attack. It all seemed pointless. 

Hager had suspected this eventuality and had created something to help turn the tide. It was a Golam the size of a mountain, and the Golam was covered in advanced runes and glyphs. The Golem laid waste to the Warships destroying every last one. The Golam then stayed stationary in front of the shore. This setup was the final push they meant business Hager went to his satellites and returned them to working order. The following day Hager approached the entire Town and said. "Now then, you should all be ashamed of yourselves believing that this war could go away. As we speak, major nations worldwide are beginning to burn to the ground, and our enemy will not stop until all of Humanity has gone extinct. We must rally all of Humanity into one final push against our enemy. Now those of you with the ability to fight to step forth because this ends now."

Several Humans stepped forth, men, women, and even some juveniles. We then got to work savaging on the warships. The Humans seemed very apologetic for their recent actions towards my son and me. I forgave them, and so did Baako, who was currently helping the humans rebuild their Town. 

With some guidance from my knowledge, I helped build some medical machines, and I made a new type of material that could be made from some base ingredients. 

I helped Hager with the construction of the ship. With my help, we were able to finish the boat. The Humans who were willing to fight boarded it. We then traveled the World, gathering more humans to our army in the hopes of ending this war. Many survivors also got on board the ship we stopped to deliver them to our base in Town, which by this point, we decided to call it Sanctuary. Baako helped them recover our final destination was the Bunker. When we got close to the Bunker, we saw it was guarded by several ships. Hager jumped into the water and transformed. The next thing I noticed was tentacles reaching out of the water and sinking many of the vessels. I assumed that Hager had transformed into the legendary Kraken. Once the was clear, we got into the docking bay of the Bunker Hager. While Hager was still in the form of a Kraken dispatched the soldiers and pried the metal doors open. Hager then returned to the surface and ordered our army to disable the soldiers and refrain from harming the civilians. 

The Humans understood, and we quickly stormed the Bunker. True to their word, the Humans disabled the Pallio they came across, but they showed no mercy towards the artificial soldiers that roamed the halls of the Bunker Hager. I ran towards the Audience Chamber where the Pallio Grand Council resided; when we opened the doors, we saw my son Braheem. He was adorned in silver Pallio armor and held a massive broadsword in his hands. "Braheem, what are you doing here."

"I am defending the only family I have left, Father no Amal. You're a traitor to all of Pallio kind. In the name of the Council, I will end you," Braheem said as he ran towards me; swinging his heavy sword, I dodged the attack. Still, a single tear had fallen from my face. My son had turned against me; he had fallen into the hands of the corrupt Council. This current fight was too much; the Council Members watched as Braheem and I fought one another with grinning smiles on their faces. "Braheem opens your eyes; the Council doesn't care about you. All they want is the destruction of an innocent race that has never done anything to us," I said as I got close and slashed at my Braheem's knee bringing him down.

"Lies the Humans are a pitiful selfish species! They deserve nothing but Death. We are the superior beings who should reign supreme over this World," Braheem said. 

Getting up from the floor and attacking me, I barely dodged out of the way in time, but at this point, I would rather be dead. I couldn't bring myself to harm my son. He was my pride and joy, but what else could I do? With a heavy heart, I stood up and stabbed my son in the chest, bringing him down to the ground. I could no longer hold back the tears; I let them all fall. My son was slowly leaving this World, and by my hand, no less, I screamed. I stood up and held my scimitar out towards the Council. They were terrified of my expression towards them "you cowards have gone too far. First, you kill and pillage your subjects. Then you needlessly wage war against Humanity for no reason except for your bloated egos, then you brainwash my son and force him to fight me. After all this, you all deserve Death, but if you die now, you'll never get to admit your crimes. Hager, get these monitors up and running. Let's end this once and for all.

End of Chapter

Epilogue

After the Council admitted their crimes, The Pallio community decided to put the Council to Death. There was an immediate investigation into other things the Council had done, and their list of crimes went deeper than we knew. The Council had condoned illegal experimentation on the Pallio, and many of the subjects had died horribly. Some had even survived but were kept at an unknown location. Another crime the Council committed was a sex trafficking scheme, and that was just two of the 30 crimes committed by the Council the other Pallio were shocked to hear that their leaders had condoned such unspeakable acts. Still, Hager spoke up and said that he would lead all of Pallio kind to a brighter future. The first step was to leave the Bunker and interact with the rest of the World Twenty years passed, and Humans and Pallio now walk the same path together.

I am nearing the end of my life, but seeing my grandchildren play with their human friends does my heart good. I should note that this new way of life did not come easily. When we Pallio returned to our countries of origin, all of Humanity was very hateful towards us. Still, our issues slowly began to melt away as we got to know one another. 

The Pallio brought Humanity into a bright shining age where everyone can smile. I get up from my bed and walk outside. I now reside in Neo Cairo, a magnificent city in the desert. It's a vast city of wonder and mystery right now. I'm walking towards the park. While I'm walking, I take in the sights from the vehicles to the moving billboards. When I reach the park, I see many things, from the beautiful flowers to people enjoying the day. I walk over to the park plaza, sit on a bench, and look up at the statue of myself when I was in my prime. I then began to think back to my time as a prince. It was a wonderful time. I remembered my Father. He gave me the things I needed to survive in this World, my Mother. However, I barely remember her now. I still remember her smiling face and my dear beloved Ain. I miss her dearly, but I know she is with Braheem, and they are waiting for me. I get up from the bench and continue my walk. 

I end up walking to a mall, go to a toy store, and buy my Grandkids some gifts. Then I begin walking to Baako's home in Alexandria. When I get to my son's home, I knock on the door, and Baako opens the door. He hugs me and welcomes me inside then my Grandkids rush at me. I smile at my granddaughter Bastet, and I hand her this adorable doll. Bastet smiles and says, "thank you, Sidi I love her" I then turn to my Grandson Akl, and I hand him this new video game contraption. 

Akl jumps up and down and says, "thanks, Sidi, this game is the best" my grandkids lead me into the living room, and we spend the day together, and as I spend time with them, the venom that is coursing through my veins is reaching its maximum toxicity, but I want this last day to be special. 

So I tell a story about my early childhood that has everyone captivated, but I began to cough up purple blood as I was getting to the end. I fall to the floor. I can hear my Daughter in law running to call an ambulance. The next time I wake up, I'm in a hospital hooked up to a machine. Baako is next to me with his family. I smiled at him and began to sigh as I lay on my deathbed. I think all about my past. You know I despite everything, there was one thing I didn't understand what drove those Humans to attack my Mother? At first, I was told that the Egyptians demonized my Mother for sleeping with my Father. But they would have kept that a secret, right so who exposed my Mother. Could the Council have set things in motion, or was it a member of my Tribe who knows?

I started to get some rest, but the pain I was feeling kept me from getting any sleep. My son woke up from me squirming from the pain. Baako comforted me, and he began to say that he was grateful to me for giving him all he needed. I nodded suddenly, I began to convulse again, and an alarm went off, and several doctors ran inside. They pushed my

son's family out of the room, the pain quickly got worse and worse I could barely breathe, and after a few minutes I began to slip away, and my heart stopped my vision began to blur as I heard the time of Death be announced. 

I now found myself floating in a void. I looked around, and I saw such bright and beautiful lights. I followed the mornings until I found my family: my Mother, Father Ain, and Braheem. I went towards them, and everything faded to white…

The End