Adrianna wanted to kill the serpent in front of her but she realized he was such a fool. He really wasn't as intelligent as Ziu was. She put her hand in the air to stop everyone from coming any nearer as she continued to stare at him. All those who surrounded them stopped in their places.

Adrianna crossed her hands and said, "You are surrounded by a large number of werewolves and wizards who are waiting for my order to finish you, and believe me your body would explode in at least a thousand pieces if I as much snap my fingers." She slanted her eyebrows and continued, "Yet you have the audacity to say that to me and that too in my land! I should applaud you for that Rhys."

​​

Rhys laughed, which Adrianna listened to but what others saw was a huge serpent shaking its head in a menacing way sideways and hissing. They thought that it was preparing to attack and looked at Adrianna to give them instructions to kill it but when they noticed that she was hardly afraid of him, they stayed in their positions.

"Adrianna, if I was bothered about these ants killing me, I wouldn't have come alone," he replied as he roared with laughter.

"You are the eldest of the King of serpents, Rhys," said Adrianna. "You are strong and powerful and the right heir to the throne."

The serpent stopped laughing. He stared back at her and hissed, "How do you know?"

"I know all about you. If you like we can fight or if you like, we can talk about negotiating with you."

"Negotiating?" he started laughing. "You have given up so soon Adrianna?"

What a fool? Thought Adrianna.

"There is no point in talking to me about negotiations. If you want to talk, then perhaps you can talk about giving up the throne of the Wizard Kingdom." Saying that, he suddenly spewed fire from his mouth at her.

Adrianna jumped to the side dodging his attack.

The werewolves including Dmitri shape shifted and started running towards him. Some of them leapt in the air and jumped right over him while the other went towards it tail to bite the skin beneath that area. Since everywhere they could only see scales.

Rhys was quicker than all of them. He coiled his body in a tight circle only so that his thorny scales were exposed. His skin was so rough that it was impossible to penetrate their teeth or claws in it.

One could see twenty werewolves attacking a giant serpent from all sides trying to bite him or claw him but most of them slid or found it too difficult to get a hold on his body.

All at once, Rhys uncoiled with a huge force and all those who were trying to climb it flew in air and landed with a huge thud on the ground thirty feet away. While those who were near the ground around were hurled by it body ten feet away. He slithered his way to the Queen throwing his large and thick tail on the ground as if threatening any werewolf to come closer and he would crush it.

As he made his way to Adrianna, a werewolf who had fallen close by ran back to him and attacked him from under right below his mouth. The werewolf sank its teeth in the flesh injuring him badly. Black blood seeped out of his body.

Rhys hissed in anger and blew more fire from its mouth around himself so that no one enters that area. Then it curled its body around the werewolf quickly and crushed it to death. He swiped its tail over it, throwing it far away in the forest.

It was the time for wizards and witches. All of them pointed their wands at him when suddenly Adrianna shouted, "Stop!"

She had been watching his tactics from behind because Dmitri had picked her up and put her behind him to save her from the attack. But she knew that his efforts would go in vain since Rhys was a very powerful serpent. However, at this point of time had she stopped him, he would have felt extremely insulted.

"I would like to deal with him Dmitri," she communicated mentally.

"Are you mad? I won't let you go near him," came the reply. Dmitri had seen how easily the serpent had thrown the werewolves around him. He looked as Liam and Nate tried to climb his back.

"It's no use climbing his back. For God's sake, he has huge scales that are impenetrable. And do you think he would allow you to harm his soft skin?" tried to convince Adrianna.

"Adri, stay away. He is dangerous!" Dmitri replied with anger.

Adrianna rolled her eyes at her stubborn husband. She was not in a position to tell the Palace secrets to Dmitri and so she couldn't even tell him that the serpent was Ziu's elder brother. She had to take things in hand.

She noticed how everyone had become embroiled in the battle and slid past them. As soon as she came near Rhys, she waved her hands in air and formed an invisible wall around the two of them.

"Adrianna!" yelled Dmitri when he realized what she had done. "Come out. He is dangerous."

Nate, Liam, and all others were stunned at this brave gesture of their Queen.

"Can you listen to me once?" yelled Dmitri on top of his lungs disregarding others around him. His skin lined with goose bumps when he watched how close Adrianna was to the serpent.

Everyone waited with their bated breaths as to what would happen next.

Inside the circle, Rhys hissed again at Adrianna and said, "You are intelligent but slightly foolish. You have voluntarily given yourself to die. It had never been this easy for me." He started laughing again. The wound that had formed below his mouth had healed completely.

"Rhys, I will offer you the negotiations for the last time," she said.