Chapter 255: 255: Fear Factor

Elsewhere on the battlefield, a Veladrys was unlucky enough to have fallen after getting chased by bottom feeders. Swarmed by multitudes of the ravenous, slippery creatures, she was reduced to leaves and twigs amid her piercing screams.

It was an incredibly painful way to go.

Yet, the moment her physical body was devoured, her consciousness returned to a tree in the Nymph's forest, and this tree's vibrant leaves drooped closed to settle in a dormant state.

It would be another few weeks before she could materialise again, and the Queen Mother who saw a portion of her forest weaken had a dark look on her face. 

She had sensed the serpent arriving with those strange creatures a while ago. But when she did not return to the cave immediately, she decided to play along to see what the 'she' was planning.

It was strangely adorable watching her interfere in their battles to keep the nestlings alive, without them noticing – those scorpions never really stood a chance.

Yet, what was this situation?

The Nymph's delicate brows twitched as she witnessed the turmoil – what a cruel serpent!

This was already the tenth Veladrys to return so pitifully after experiencing much pain, yet she didn't even bat an eye to her spirits 'dying', only concerned with protecting her own.

The Nymph's brooding eyes flashed menacingly as her thoughts filled with ways to punish her.

Should she withdraw all her support to make things more difficult?

Or spoil her surprise and let the nestlings know she'd been watching them all this time for sport?

The armrest of her living throne was crushed when she gripped too hard, causing the spirits around her to look up in concern.

However, the Nymph's rage soon subsided and she didn't recall her children.

Ruining that serpent's plans would reveal that she could see very far, and it wasn't a good idea to lose such good leverage.

Besides, seeing her reveal herself to the nestlings like some benevolent saviour made the Nymph rethink her strategy. And a sinister, almost salivating grin formed on her face as she realised something.

If any of the nestlings had a reason to doubt her before, that would all change the moment they saw her appear in such a grand way. And it wasn't just them - any monster in the vicinity that felt her aura would be just as wary. 

This serpent's methods were really something.

[Was I wrong not to eat you then?] The Nymph pondered aloud.

But then, a tiny finger poked her cheek, causing the eerie look on her face to return to normal.

[Why are you grinning like you found a strong mortal?] The dark fae asked, as she munched down on a piece of fruit.

The Nymph smiled at her adorable stuffed cheeks.

[Not a mortal…those are too simple. My tastes may have changed.]

The dark fae's happy expression quickly turned to disgust. [I don't need to know your strange hobbies. Just tell me when 'she' returns!]

The Nymph gave her a knowing smile. [She's already here.]

[Really?!] The dark fae fluttered around in excitement, but she stopped because she didn't like the strange expression on the Nymph's face. 

She hoped that annoying serpent didn't do anything to cause problems. 

[If she's back. Why aren't you going to see her?] The dark fae asked, but the Nymph's face reddened, much to her sock, and she turned jittery as she replied. 

[I'm...not ready yet.]

Huh?

The dark fae looked on in confusion. 

What exactly was wrong with her for her to act so shy? 

Maybe she was ill?

[If you're not going...can I go then?]

[No!] The Nymph's eyes suddenly flashed in fury. [She should come to me.]

The dark fae left her alone - she was clearly in a bad mood, but her brows furrowing in concern. 

Should she have warned that serpent about the Nymph's cruel personality? 

But then something bright caught her eye and she rushed off to it. 

Maybe she would...after she finished eating!

----

In a forest nearby, a certain captain grinned at her fellow nestlings in arrogance.

They had all gone quiet, some even whimpering in fear, and when she saw her words achieve the desired effect, she turned to Typhon for approval.

But he wasn't paying attention to her, his troubled gaze firmly fixed on the shadowy creature in the distance.

'She' was flying through the forest, creating a shower with her poison to douse the flames, while the strange creatures following her gathered the remaining scorpion corpses scattered around.

Arsinoe sulked, but her jealousy didn't last long as she heard someone laughing nearby.

[We saw you hiding behind Ophelia. Don't act like you recognised her first.]

Artemis, who witnessed her abashed figure along with the Veladrys was quick to reprimand her, and Arsinoe glared at him. [Don't act arrogant, just because some ugly creatures decided to follow you!]

[What ugly creatures?] Artemis sneered at her, and the Veladrys with him all crossed their arms in offence. [If I'm arrogant, then what are you?]

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Arsinoe had no words so she slithered away in a huff. 

Why did he have to get involved?

Now the nestlings she'd convinced of her brilliance were giving her strange looks.

She really wanted to beat him up!

But two serpents from her team left Artemis to come rushing after her.

[What happened to your body?] one serpent asked, she was upset that Artemis told her off without caring about her injuries, while the other serpent was telling her to stop moving around.

And Arsinoe, who'd completely forgotten about her injuries, was touched. 

She suddenly realised how pitiful she must look and assured the two she wasn't that injured, so they would stop worrying.

[It's really nothing. I don't even feel it.]

[Are you sure? Should we get Lyra?]

Their concern made her feel warm inside, but Arsinoe shook her head.

Out of everyone, they were the most friendly to her, and she stared up at the shadowy figure of their leader with a mixture of gratitude and contempt.

Just when she thought everyone was going to die, 'she' appeared.

Arsinoe was annoyed, but when she saw the adoring looks of the team members 'she' saved, she decided to calm down as it wasn't worth getting angry. 

And as their leader continued to show off, Arsinoe settled on a new purpose. 

She would make her give them names, even if she had to make a deal with that other voice to get it.

At the same time, another captain was staring up at their leader. 

Typhon was suspicious of her actions, because of how timely 'she' and those other creatures had arrived.

He deemed it odd how he and every other nestlings was alive when the battle had been so tough - Artemis even found the healers that were buried alive by Morgana's creatures. 

It all felt like a test they passed by accident, but he couldn't be sure.

Perhaps 'she' was looking for something? But what exactly?

In his uncertainty he warned all the nestlings to behave. 

[No mistakes. No silly dances. No arguments. Only obedience, unless you want to end up dead. Do you understand?]

The nestlings with him all nodded and trembled in fear. 

If this was a test, she was likely looking for something to fault them on and he couldn't allow her to find anything.

Artemis and Apollo were nearby, so he ordered them to follow him and together they went below the tunnels to investigate what caused the breach. 

To keep her temper even, he had to have an answer for when she asked why so many bottom feeders had escaped.

When Typhon eventually resurfaced, he saw Ophelia had returned.

['She' wants to meet us separately.] Ophelia said, causing every nestling present to break out in murmurs of fear.

[What do we do?] Several nestlings asked.

[Is she going to eat us for the destroyed cave?!]

They were anxious for good reason, their leader now looked nightmarish, and the creatures with her were even more heinous.

But Typhon ordered them all to be quiet, and refused to panic himself. 

Clearly she wasn't unreasonable, because 'she' was concerned with reducing the flames that were spreading across the forest and she even sent that overgrown lizard to stay with them.

Although it was sleeping - wasn't this all to protect them? 

He tried to remain positive, and even ordered those nestlings that were uninjured to douse the flames as well - convinced they had to make a good impression.

However, the Veladrys unexpectedly spurred into action when all of the flames went out and they began to grow new plants from the scorpion corpses nearby. 

At first, Typhon thought they were covering the places that were too destroyed, but when the fast growing plants became small trees in a dominant shade of red, as opposed to the green around them, he grew concerned.

Soon, the forest around their cave had changed to resemble an eerie forest filled with lush leaves of a reddish pink shade, the charred ground from before completely swallowed up by new growth. 

This made the lizard, who had been asleep perked up in surprise and seeing this, Typhon glared at the Veladrys in rage.

What possessed them to paint their forest in such garish colours?

And why now?

Was this their Queen Mother's order? 

Typhon was convinced they were trying to outdo their leader's efforts in a play for dominance, and he grew even more enraged. 

The lizard beside him was no different. He rose to its feet, ready to spew fire on all of them, and Typhon was in no mood to stop him.

The Veladrys' could feel several murderous gazes aimed at them, and worse, the creature with that dreadful aura was heading their way.

Every tree spirit present shed silent tears, wishing they could all disappear - their Queen Mother really picked the wrong time to throw a tantrum.

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