A Serpent's Revenge: Bakunawa's Bloodline

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

[Sigren]

Sigren thought that suffering from burn marks was something that he had gotten used to, but it seems like the flames coming from Axel have more intensity compared to regular flames.

A single cast of the demigod's flames almost engulfed everyone. Most of the aswangs fled, fearing the power of the son of Apolaki. Sigren could not blame them for running away. In fact, he was thankful that they did because it saved him from having to tell them to run away himself.

Sigren is currently in the cave, hiding from Axel under the covers of the water. He is trying to let his skin heal from the damage that he has taken after trying to save the serpents from getting burned.

Aman and Sabath. Sigren can't help but think about them. The last time he saw the two serpents was when he told them to escape after Axel started to slaughter most of their comrades.

Sigren is not sure how many of his underlings managed to escape. All he remembers is trying to fight Axel and luring him in the cave in order to buy time for his comrades to flee.

"Snake person, where are you hiding?" He can hear the taunting calls of Axel echoing in the cave. "You still have something that I want. You better surrender it now."

Something that Axel wants. Sigren is pretty sure that he meant the moonstone, though for whatever reason he would want it, he has no idea. But he is certain that the academy did not send him to retrieve it; after all, he has spies.

Thankfully, he managed to hide the moonstone—for now.

He decides to move; diving deeper into the water and following the currents, hoping that he could get as far away from Axel as possible.

Axel is too strong for him. He easily repelled all of his attempts to compel the demigod.

Then again, there was something strange about his strength and power. As the son of Apolaki, he should not be able to conjure such powerful flames at night since the moon is under Mayari's domain. If anything, Axel's powers should have been reduced.

Sigren swims through the currents, ignoring the stinging pain from the burn marks on his body that he got from fighting Axel. He could hear Axel's taunting hums echoing. As much as Sigren hates to admit it, he's afraid. It would seem like the trauma that he got when he was a kid hasn't been fully conquered.

The water soon starts to turn warm. At first, Sigren did not pay it any mind because he thought that there must be a change in the water's temperature, but not longer after and the temperature suddenly starts to become unbearable until such a time that it has become scalding hot. He could imagine himself being cooked alive so that he had no choice but to rise back to the surface.

He gasped for fresh air as soon as he managed to pull himself out of the water. His skin feels hot even though the cold air is blowing inside the cave.

"Ah, finally."

Sigren quickly turns his head to Axel, who is standing by the edge of the water, laughing as he waves away the smoke coming off of the water after he ignites it with his flames.

Axel cocks his head to the side while wearing a nasty grin on his lips. "For a moment there, I thought that you drowned."

"You bastard!" Sigren sneers, trying to get up, but only feeling searing pain from the burns on his body. "You're going to pay for that. You are going to get what you deserve."

"You mean I am going to get rewarded, right?" Axel smiles.

"Rewarded for what?!" Sigren can't help but scream. "You're a murderer."

"Murderer? No, no." Axel clicks his tongue and waves a finger. "I never murdered anyone."

"You killed all my bethrens!"

"That was salvation." The way that Axel smiles reminds Sigren of a madman, and the fear that he has for the fire demigod increases. "Monsters and pests that need to be exterminated. If I had not done what I did, who knows what could have happened? I mean, look at you. You're out here trying to awaken your slumbering monster of a father." Axel sighs and shakes his head. "It's my fault. I should have made sure that all of the children of the Bakunawa died that day."

"That's what you thought of first?! That I want to awaken Bakunawa only because I am his child and not because of what you have done?"

Axel angles his head to the side and crosses his arms. His gaze appears curious as he regards Sigren. "I have done what I could and eliminated the blood of the tainted serpent."

There's no remorse or even a hint of compassion in his gaze, which only infuriates Sigren more.

Sigren can't help but let out a pained and contorted laugh. He feels like he is slowly losing his mind, both out of fear and anger towards the demigod before him.

"You call us monsters, but have you ever checked the mirror or reflected on all of the things you pesky demigods have done? You tortured us. You always regard yourself as second to the highest beings, the gods. The Engkantos, who are supposed to have a peaceful relationship with you, have all been treated unfairly."

"Interesting." Axel hums, carefully heading towards him. He grabs Sigren's hair and hauls him up just so he can be on the same eye level as him. "Is that what you are planning to do? After you awaken your dear father, you are going to take revenge and kill all demigods?"

Sigren grins. Despite the situation, he can't help but wonder what propelled him to smile at his potential killer. All he knows is that he will not give him the satisfaction of seeing him cower any more after he ignited the flames of hatred within him.

Sigren chortles. "To be honest, I don't give a damn about the other demigods. When I awaken my father, I want him to kill every last one of you." Sigren sneers the last five words out with hatred aimed at Axel, making sure that he gets his message.

"Even the girl?" A wide smile spreads over Axel's lips when he asks the question.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Sigren begins to adopt a stoic expression in order to avoid giving anything away. Given how crazy and dangerous Axel could be, who knows what he would do?

"Are we playing stupid now?" Axel lets out a light laugh before pulling Sigren's hair and inching his face closer. "You know, a little bird told me that during the recent attack in the academy, there was one girl whom you spared."

Stay calm, Sigren tells himself. There's no way that he can know.

"You must have finally reached the point of insanity to even think that I would care about anything other than revenge."

"Is that so?" There's a small pause when Axel's lowers his voice dangerously. A second passes, and his lips start to twitch. His lips start to quiver before he guffaws. "Alright, alright. Haah..." He lets out a breath, and when he meets Sigren's gaze again, his eyes darkens. "Then I guess that you don't care what happens to the daughter of Mayari?"

Axel starts to divert his gaze away from him and turns to one of the exits of the cave. Sigren follows where he is looking and finds himself in shock to see Maya standing there.

*~*~*~END OF CHAPTER~*~*~*