Book of Venoms - 3. The Scorpion and the Wasp

“Umnios, the God of Wisdom (later also known as God of Shifters), was often underrated even among his fellow deities. Living a reclusive life at the Cerebon Plateau, he would always keep to himself and affect the world in subtle, yet significant ways. When the first men were created, it was he who bestowed upon them the gift that would separate them from animals - the gift of reason.

When other Gods turned to populating the planet with innumerable animal and plant species, Umnios went a step further. He combined the man and the animal, creating the first Shifters. This act, while controversial at the time, finally helped him become appreciated, significantly elevating his status among the divinities.”

--

Opening his heavy eyes, Cyr mumbled and stirred on the floor. He felt dizzy. As he rubbed his eyes and his vision cleared up, he realized he wasn’t in his room or even his house.

It was as if a thousand thoughts ran through his brain all at once, and he remembered. The strange wind, the dark man who took him, Sawyer appearing and trying to stop him. But who was that and where did he take him? And why?

As he tried to pick himself up off the floor, Cyr froze when he noticed a large scorpion resting on his thigh. It was amber-colored and almost the size of his hand. Panicking, he quickly swiped his hand, sending the animal flying across the room. It was only then that he noticed the strange place he was in. The room resembled a giant terrarium. Instead of furniture, there were trees, bushes and other plantlife, including vines covering much of the walls. The floor was covered in grass, sand and rocks of varying sizes.The ceiling was entirely made of glass. It was still night and Cyr could notice stars high up above. Still, a dim magical orb of light hovering above one of the two doors provided just enough light.

“Finally,” he heard a voice say, startling him. “He wakes up.”

As he turned around toward the corner where the scorpion fell, he saw a young man sitting on the floor. He must be a shifter, Cyr concluded, looking at him suspiciously. The guy wore a copper-colored robe and his messy orange hair was barely contained with a bandana. What intrigued Cyr most of all was the scar that went right across the guy’s right eye.

“You’re the scorpion,” Cyr stated. It wasn’t a question, but a constatation.

“Yeah,” the strange guy nodded as he got up and moved to sit closer to his new roommate. He was curious and wanted to inspect him. If he was abducted as well, it must’ve been for a good reason.

“Where are we?” Cyr asked, contemplating whether to move away or not.

Although he had never considered himself a coward - that was something he associated with his brother - Cyr couldn’t deny he felt nervous. He had no idea where he was brought to or why. Maybe this guy wanted to kill me, the thought crossed his mind. But no, he had plenty of time to do so while I slept. Perhaps he was brought here by force, just like I was. No matter, I cannot trust him.

“No clue. I was just brought here yesterday,” the guy replied. He had a strange accent and Cyr couldn’t quite place it. He was probably not from around.

“So you’ve been abducted too?”

“It would seem so. I’m Jarin, by the way,” he said, offering his hand. Cyr took it hesitantly, giving it a light shake.

“Cyr. So, you’re a shifter.”

“Yes. And careful next time, or I will sting you,” Jarin warned, raising the eyebrow that wasn’t covered by hair. He needed to assert his dominance early on. That’s how he was raised from an early age and he knew no other way. Besides, what did he really know about this newcomer? Nothing. He could be a decoy, sent to test me. He says he’s been abducted, but who knows if that’s true, Jerin thought. He couldn’t trust him, not yet at least.

“You scared me. Do it again and I’ll squish you like a bug,” Cyr spat, not appreciating the guy’s threats. If he thinks he can bully me just because he’s a nasty overgrown insect, he’s got another thing coming.

“You wouldn’t live to do that,” Jerin got up on his feet, towering over Cyr, who jumped up and pushed him. The shifter quickly regained his balance, pushing the other boy, knocking him down. As Cyr fell, Jerin jumped on top of him, grabbing his arms, but the dark-haired boy kicked him in the shin, forcing him to back off.

Just as Cyr got ready to punch the other boy, a sudden buzzing around his head caused him to stop.

A wasp that had so far been resting on a bush with large, pink flowers, observing the conversation between the two guys, flew over to them and landed on the ground. The next moment, she disappeared and was replaced by a girl in a long, pale red tunic. Her hair was gray, cut short on one side and falling over her shoulder on the other. She had canary yellow eyes and pale skin.

Cyr looked at her in surprise, but Jerin seemed unperturbed.

“Enough, you two. Why do guys always have to fight?” she rolled her eyes, fixing her hair with one hand.

“How many of you are there?” Cyr asked, scanning the room in an attempt to spot more animals hidden in the foliage.

“Just the two of us,” the girl said. “Well, three, now that you’re here. I’m Dymia.”

“I’m-”

“Cyr, I heard,” she replied, shaking his hand with a smirk. “So what are you?”

“What do you mean?” he frowned.

“I’m a scorpion, Dymia is a wasp. We figured you’re a shifter as well,” Jerin explained, looking at Cyr with contempt. Their theory was that whoever kidnapped them was looking for shifters for whatever reason. The room they were placed in was obviously created for animals, so the new guy had to be one of them.

“I’m not a shifter,” Cyr replied dryly. It was something he could never understand. He and Castor were identical twins, created at the same time, developed in the same womb. Then how was he blessed with the shifting power and I wasn’t? What’s even worse is that he doesn’t appreciate it. He never has! That dull, unambitious boy has the ability to turn into one of the deadliest snakes in the world, and yet refuses to do so. I had spent so many days studying shifting and countless nights praying to Umnios, but it was all in vain.

“Seriously?” Dymia asked, genuinely surprised. She was certain their theory would prove to be correct.

“I think I would know if I was a shifter,” Cyr replied sarcastically.

“We just thought whoever brought us here-” the girl started, but Cyr promptly raised his hand, shushing her.

“So, you’re both venomous, I assume?” he asked, an idea forming in his mind.

“Yes. I’m the Assassin Wasp,” the girl said with a devious smile on her pink lips. “Not quite lethal to you as he would be, though.”

Jerin smirked, as if especially proud of his animal form.

“I assume you’ve heard of Fireborn Scorpions,” he said with an air of smugness that made Cyr even more aggravated.

Just what he needed, more shifters to rub it in his face. Not wanting to feed his ego, Cyr merely nodded, leaning back against the wall. These two fools might just be right. The man who kidnapped us, what if he’s looking for venomous species? Could that mean… that I was taken by mistake? What if he was looking for my idiot brother? Unbelievable! As if I haven’t had enough of that mirror image! Now here I am, kidnapped because of him!

“What do you think they want with us?” Dymia asked, looking at the two guys. She was deeply concerned, but not as scared as when she was brought here two days ago. Waking up alone in the huge terrarium was terrifying, but now the she wasn’t alone anymore, she felt at least a little calmer.

“I have no idea,” Cyr said, not sure if he should share his theory just yet. “Have you seen anyone since you’ve been brought here?”

“Just that girl, Cassandra,” Dymia replied. “She brings us food.”

“Hmm,” Cyr hummed, getting up and moving to the other part of the room, away from the other two. “I need to think,” he murmured, more to himself.

“About what?” Jerin inquired.

“What do you think? Why we’re here and how to get out,” Cyr replied, already getting irritated by having company and not being able to escape it. He needed to be alone with his thoughts and devise some kind of a plan.

“Don’t you think we haven’t tried it yet?” Jerin scoffed at him. “There’s no way out!”

“Just because you haven’t found it, doesn’t mean there isn’t one,” Cyr pursed his lips.

“If you guys don’t stop this right now, I swear to all the Gods, I’ll sting you both,” Dymia stood up, raising her voice. They couldn’t afford to turn against each other, that much she knew.

Suddenly, a chilling voice from behind her made her freeze on the spot.

“I would advise you to save that venom for other purposes.”

All eyes fell upon the dark-skinned man who appeared at one of the two wooden doors. Tall and bald, he held a large wooden staff in his right hand, a magical golden orb circling on top of it.

Cyr immediately recognized him as the man who abducted him. However, he didn’t dare to say a word. He merely looked at him in silence, trying not to make any noise or draw attention to himself. The other two seemed to be doing the same, until Jerin finally spoke up.

“Who are you? What do you want from us?”

With unchanged expression, the sorcerer turned to Jerin. “My name is Macarius. And you are here to obey my will!” The strict look in his eyes meant there was no room for discussion.

Cyr hadn’t the faintest idea of just how Macarius was powerful, but his very tone and demeanor indicated he was not to be trifled with.

“What if we refuse?” Jerin asked against his better judgment. He could feel adrenaline coursing through his body, feeling ready to jump or shift at any moment in case of danger.

However, there was no need for that. The sorcerer simply gave them a faint smile.

“I’m afraid that is not an option. Wasp, you shall come with me first. Scorpion, you’re next,” Macarius said, pointing at Dymia and Jerin. “And you shall be the last, snake. Prepare yourselves,” he ordered, looking sternly at Cyr.

With that, a vortex of wind appeared around him as he grabbed Dymia by the forearm. She stood calmly, not even trying to fight. A moment later, both of them were gone.

~~

It was still night when Castor reached the neighboring town of Nerton. Saywer closely followed him every step of the way, never losing sight of him. However, the sorcerer respected Castor’s wishes, staying behind and not saying a word, despite how much he wanted to.

The truth was, he didn’t really know what to say. He wanted Castor to forgive him and to go back to how they were, but for that to happen, he first needed to accept his boyfriend’s animal form. Sawyer wasn’t sure he could do that and hated himself for it.

The entire night, as he walked behind Castor, he tried to imagine what it would be like petting a snake or waking up in bed next to a slimy, scaly reptile. Why couldn’t his boyfriend be a dog or a squirrel? He shook his head, cursing himself for having those thoughts. If Castor knew what he was thinking, he would surely hate him, but he couldn’t help it.

Such irony, Sawyer thought, that my sweet Cas is a shifter while Cyr is a regular human. That boy is the embodiment of a snake, always so cold and venomous.

They entered the small town of Nerton tired and hungry, but Sawyer knew they didn’t come there just because they needed food and shelter. A sorceress named Sephare lived there and Castor was clearly intent on seeking her aid in finding Macarius. Sawyer approved - not that he was ever asked for an opinion. He didn’t know much about Sephare, but for now she was their best shot at finding the man who took Cyr. Being a fellow sorceress, maybe she could even teach me a thing or two, Sawyer thought, or at least tell us more about Macarius.

Cautiously optimistic, the young sorcerer followed his boyfriend down a wide street that led to the town square. Shrouded in darkness and devoid of sounds and people, the place looked ghastly. Sawyer imagined the town must look quite different in daylight. One of the few buildings with lights on during the night was just ahead of them - the Dire Wolf Inn. Candlelight was coming through its many windows, revealing that the tavern was still open. If they could get some food and drinks, and even a nice bed for the night, that would be splendid, he thought. He wondered what Castor was planning, but wasn’t sure if he should start a conversation or not. He didn’t want to risk the guy running away without him.

As they approached the entrance to the inn, a rough, greying man stumbled out. He’d obviously had his fair share of drinks that night. Soon as his eyes fell upon Castor, the man produced a devilish smile and stepped toward him.

“Well, well, and ‘ere I thought my night o’ fun was over,” he said, more loudly than necessary. Approaching Castor, he grabbed him by the waist and pulled him closer. The young boy frowned, smelling the stench of alcohol the man exuded.

“Let me go,” he struggled, unable to break free from the man’s strong grip.

“What, don’t you wanna ‘ave some fun, pretty boy?” the man sneered, squeezing Castor’s left buttcheek while keeping him in place with his right hand on his back.

Sawyer ran toward them, raising his wand, ready to intervene.

“I said, LET ME GO!” Castor shouted, shifting into his animal form in the blink of an eye. Surprised, Sawyer stopped in his tracks.

The drunken man gasped in shock, taking a step back and almost tripping over his own feet. A big dark snake with a crimson tail was before him, raising its body threateningly and opening its mouth, baring its thin, white fangs.

“What the… Don’t, please!” the man panicked as the snake hissed at him, then turned away and ran as fast as he could. “Bloody shifters!” he grumbled as he ducked around the first corner, disappearing behind a house.

Sawyer looked at the snake warily and with unease as it turned towards him. Seeing the concerned look on the boy’s face, Castor shifted back, rolling his eyes.

“Relax, I’m not going to attack you.”

“I know that, it’s just that… This is dangerous, I told you. That’s why I didn’t want you going alone.”

“I managed to defend myself, didn’t I,” Castor raised his eyebrows, proud of how he handled the situation.

“Yes, you did, but what if he was a shifter as well? A… bigger snake or something? Or what if it was daylight?” Sawyer asked. Since shifters couldn’t use their animal form during the day, that means Castor would have been much more vulnerable.

“Well, that didn’t happen. And you forget that Cyr is not a shifter! He’s an easy target at night as much as during the day!” Castor stated fiercely. He was perfectly aware of how perilous their journey could be, but his brother was in even greater danger. Who knows what that monster is doing to him right now. He didn’t even dare to think about it. All he knew was that he couldn’t give up, he had to find his brother and rescue him.

“Fine, you’re right. I’m sorry, I was just concerned,” Sawyer replied.

“That’s alright,” Castor’s voice was much softer this time. “How about some food and rest before we continue?” he added, pointing at the inn. He was hungry, sleepy and his legs were aching. He couldn’t remember the last time he walked that much. Maybe tomorrow they could get some horses? He doubted Sawyer would be able to summon them, but perhaps they could buy or even steal a couple. Anything to get to Cyr.

“Sounds great, I’m starving,” Sawyer managed a shy smile and followed Castor inside.

All of you who read this story - thank you so much!
In the next chapter, we will meet some new characters and learn more about what Macarius is up to!