Gift of the Serpent

by Wylder Willis

  Minutes passed as the Dagger clan surrounded the hideout from above. Once they were in position Long Fang gave the signal to drop. She jumped down from the rafters and landed on her feet in front of Nikita. The other Dagger clan members landed not long after surrounding Nikita. She was caught off guard and unarmed. She had to distract this group of opponents long enough so she could make her way to her armory. Luckily for her, she was good at distracting people. Long Fang spoke first in a harsh, raspy voice, “I am Long Fang. I have come to destroy the teenage boys by first breaking their leader’s heart. Prepare to die child.”

  Nikita retorted slightly offended, “Who are you callin’ child, Leatherface? Besides there are no teenage boys here, so go find your teen boys elsewhere.” Nikita edged closer to Long Fang.

  “I saw you with him. He cares for this city and you. He will pay for what he did to me, through loss and then with his life,” Long Fang continued.

  Nikita edges a bit closer again, and inquired to distract her opponent, “What did he do to you?” Nikita is now five feet away from Long Fang.

  “He scarred my face,” said Long Fang. “And he will pay, starting now.”

  Nikita spoke, “You're messing with the wrong girl. You are gonna regret ever meeting me very soon.” She stepped even closer, now three feet away.

  “I highly doubt that,” Long Fang countered. Nikita stepped closer till she was two feet away.

  “Oh really? Why is that?” she asked. Long Fang pulled out a lighter and held it so that she could see the flame. “Because now you burn,” Long Fang boasted as she threw the lighter over her shoulder.

  The lighter landed and the floor caught flame in an instant. Long Fang engaged Nikita with the blades strapped to her forearms. Nikita dodged by somersaulting past her. She bolted towards her room, towards her family heirloom daggers. As she ran, images flashed before her eyes, images of the last time she was in a burning building.

  Chapter 8

  Fire

  She had been seven, but that was 150 years ago. She had awakened to the smell of smoke. Nikita had run out the door with her doll when she saw the flames. On her way out she had grabbed her family's heirlooms; two finely crafted daggers with a design on the blade. The design was a Chinese dragon. She had dropped her doll in the doorway as she ran into the desert. For years she had thought her parents had died in the fire, only to have them used against her by a sheriff.

  She would not be caught in another fire. Her eyes glowed blood red. Nikita made it to her bedroom door and she kicked it down with a move called “The Dragon tail whip”. She grabbed her daggers and began to turn back into the hall when collapsing debris hit her from behind, on her head. She dropped as she fell into unconsciousness. Her daggers fell from her hands and landed beside her in an “X” for the second time, since the fire that happened more than 150 years ago.

  Several hours later Nikita woke up to the sounds or rubble being moved around. Search and rescue? Long Fang? Nikita waited as she stayed as still as possible and listened as the sounds got closer.

  Minutes passed and then she heard a voice say, “She has to be here somewhere or she would have come and found us a while ago.”

  Nikita recognized Oliver’s voice. She called out, “Oliver! I’m over here!” and pushed with her back against the rubble that had fallen on top of her. As she did this her vision grayed around the edges; she was going to black out. She heard Oliver running on the rubble towards her, before she heard the rubble on top of her moving. She felt his hands grab her shoulder, before she blacked out again.

  Oliver pulled her out of the rubble as his brothers rushed over. Oliver held her in his arms as he turned towards his brothers and said, “We have to get her out of here. Horus, grab her daggers or she’ll be pissed when she wakes up.” Horus hurried over and picked up Nikita’s daggers, which he placed in his belt. Together Oliver and his brothers ran home, Oliver carrying Nikita.

  When they finally reached home they found Master Kappa was waiting for them next to the couch with fresh clothing and a washcloth for Nikita. Oliver laid Nikita on the couch and finally got a good look at her and the damage of the fire. She was covered in soot and had burns all over her arms, legs, and back. Oliver began washing off the soot with the wash cloth. He gently wiped the soot off her face and as he did so, he saw her beauty that she had hidden with her wicked smile.

  It wasn’t long before he had washed off her face and had to wash out the cloth. The others had left by this time, leaving Oliver alone with Nikita, still wearing his mask. Suddenly, Nikita’s eyes flashed open as she gasped for air, startling Oliver as he tripped over himself and landed on his butt. Nikita propped herself up on her elbows as she looked around trying to figure out where she was. Oliver smiled as he teased, “Hi, sleeping beauty. You enjoy the nap?”

  Nikita gave him a wicked grin as she countered teasingly, “Yeah. I dreamed my home burnt down around me.”

  “Right. Sorry for trying to lighten the mood,” Oliver said taking her seriously.

  Nikita rolled her eyes at him as she pulled him close and gave him a kiss on the lips, that said he should learn when she was teasing. Oliver at first tried to pull away but then he kissed back as the world seemed to slip away. To Nikita, the kiss was like an explosion of light and, she didn’t want it to end. Nikita’s hands played with his mask and at one point nearly took it off his face. They kissed like that until they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.

  Oliver was the first to pull away as he turned to face whoever was standing in the doorway; Nikita followed his gaze. It was Horus standing in the doorway. Oliver quickly pulled his mask back into place on his face.“Don’t stop on my account Ollie. We’re only brothers,” Horus said before turning to walk away. Oliver stood up as he started to chase after Horus. “Horus! Wait! Come on, can’t we talk about this?” Seconds later, Oliver had disappeared around the corner as he chased after Horus leaving Nikita alone.

  Nikita noticed the clothes lying next to the couch.She got up and shed off her tattered and burned clothes. She washed as much of the soot off as she could, then quickly stripped down to her undergarments. She was putting on the pants when Oliver walked in with bandages for her burns and saw all of her scars on her back. He realized then and there that Nikita was a warrior and a survivor. Once she had finished pulling up her pants, Oliver cleared his throat. Nikita swiftly turned to face him, and was about to snap at him for not knocking, but then she saw the bandages and ointment in his arms and her face softened.

  “I brought some bandages and cream for your burns,” said Oliver gingerly as he walked up to her.

  “I’ll do the ointment if you can handle the bandages,” smiled Nikita. Oliver nodded as she took the ointment from his hand. Nikita rubbed the ointment on the burns that she could reach and Oliver wrapped the bandages on over the ointment. For those Nikita couldn’t reach Oliver would gently rub the ointment on the burn and then wrap a bandage on it. Eventually they finished taking care of Nikita’s burns and were alone with nothing to keep themselves busy.

  Nikita began, “I take it you saw them. My scars?” Oliver nodded feeling a bit nervous to look her in the eyes all of a sudden. Nikita asked, “Do you fear me now?”

  Oliver jerked his head up so that he could look her in the eyes as he said, “No. If I feared you because of your scars then I would be afraid of myself.” At that he revealed his own scar that he hid with his mask. He had an ‘X’ shaped scar next to his right eye.

  “You say that now, but if you knew the truth about my scars you would see me differently. Not as a survivor or as a warrior, but as a monster and a killer.”

  Oliver looked at her slightly confused as he took her hands and said, “How about you let me decide how I see you.” Nikita nodded before she wiped away a tear.

  Nikita said softly, “Behind every scar I have is the story of a death. Be it my opponent's death or my own. Unfortunately most of them mark the death of several opponents. And some of the oppone
nts I have faced that didn’t come out breathing never even managed to wound me. I’m a murderer Oliver, and I bear that burden every day.”

  She waited for Oliver to say something for several minutes. Then he spoke. “Do you regret killing those people?” Nikita nodded.

  “And are you trying to make up for their deaths?” Nikita nodded again.

  “Then you are no murderer, Nikita. You are a survivor and the toughest girl I know. I mean who else could survive their home burning down on top of them and walk away with only a few burns?”

  Nikita smiled as she hugged Oliver around the neck. “Thank you for not leaving me for dead and for helping me see that I’m no monster,” Nikita said with her head next to his.

  “No problem. And call me Ollie,” Oliver answered.

  “Though I’d like to know how she survived that fire,” a voice said from behind Oliver. Nikita looked over Oliver’s shoulder to see Horus and Dakota in the doorway. Dakota was the one who had spoken. “After all she was found among the worst of the wreckage. Everything around her was charred or turned to ash, yet here she is with only a few burns. It’s not scientifically possible!”

  By now Nikita and Oliver had pulled apart and were standing next to each other. “I survived because I was protected by my impenetrable snakeskin armor,” Nikita answered as she took one of her snake scales from her left arm and held it up for Oliver, Horus, and Dakota to see.

  It was Horus’s turn to speak. “What are you?”

  Nikita’s eyes changed from the emerald green that she always had around humans to a reptilian yellow as her eyes change from human-like eyes to the eyes of a snake. Nikita begins the story, “I am the Reptilian Protector, I have been for the last 150 years. Originally, my duty was to protect reptiles from the onslaught of humans, in what is now Nevada. As time went on, I realized that humans were not all as evil as I thought—and that many liked reptile species—-so I took it upon myself to be a protector of humans sometimes, as well. Whether I’m the Reptilian Protector—as in one who protects reptiles, or whether I am a Reptilian Protector—as in one who is a reptile who protects humans, depends on the time. I am reptilian.”

  “But you’re human,” Oliver piped up.

  “Actually I was fully human for only seven years before I became the Reptilian Protector. Now I’m only 13% human, I think.The rest is all reptile,” corrected Nikita.

  Horus inquired, “how are you 150 years old?”

  Nikita, “Tortoises can live for hundreds of years; I just take it a bit further as my snake skin can not be pierced by any weapon except my family daggers.”

  Dakota asks, “Is there a specific species of reptile that you are?”

  Nikita shakes her head. “I can be any reptile I wish—even a dragon,” answered Nikita. By now Mikey and Master Kappa had walked in and were listening to the conversation.

  Kappa finally spoke, “We have no place to judge you based on your past or what you are. All we can do is give you time to get your full strength back, and hope that you learn to trust us enough to be completely honest with us in time.”

  Nikita turned towards Kappa with a look of surprise. Mikey piped in, “I owe you my life. Besides any girl that is a friend of Ollie’s is a friend of mine,”

  “Thank you Mikey and Kappa. Now I should be going home,” Nikita replied.

  Oliver corrected, “Uh… your hideout burnt down. Remember?”

  “Oh… right. I hate today,” Nikita said somewhat annoyed.

  Oliver turned to her and said caringly, “How about you stay with us? You can even train with us if you want.”

  “Huh? Where would we train?” asked Nikita.

  Oliver grabbed her left hand and led her to their dojo. “Training ring of course. We call it the dojo though,” answered Oliver.

  “I bet I can knock you on your ass within a minute,” teased Nikita.

  “Well we will just have to wait until you’ve healed until you can even try to beat me,” teased Oliver, “I’ll show you your room.” Nikita nodded before she followed Oliver to a room between Oliver’s and kappa’s. The room was rather empty except for a small one person bed by the far wall, and a table leaning against one of the walls. Oliver began, “I know it’s not much—-”

  “It’s fine and don’t worry about the burns. I heal fast,” Nikita said.

  “Good ‘cause we still need to go after whoever tried to kill you. Did you manage to get a look at the guy’s face,” Oliver responded.

  “Even better I got her name.” Nikita crooned

  Oliver looked at her in surprise and asked curiously, “Who is it? How did you get the girl’s name?”

  “I can get anything from a human when I want to. The name she gave is Long Fang,” answered Nikita.

  Long Fang. Oliver knew that name, and knew that this was even more serious than Nikita could imagine. He and his brothers had run into her clan before. Where Ollie and the boys were committed to helping and protecting the city; Long Fang and her klan were committed to destroying the city and its people by stealing from them and spawning fear through violence. If only it had been anyone but Long Fang.....

  Chapter 9

  Recovery and Revenge

  Mornings came and went as Nikita healed and the boys worked on tracking down Long Fang. A week had passed before Nikita was back in fighting shape. This morning she was in the kitchen making breakfast for everyone as they slept or meditated. She was cooking fried eggs with sausage while she was slicing up some mango. While she was slicing the mango, she had let her guard down, and was caught unaware when Oliver snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Oliver has stopped wearing a mask around her after two days.

  “You’re lucky if you don’t get cut up doing that,” Nikita teased as she offered a slice of mango to him over her shoulder.

  “I guess I trust you enough not to cut me,” Oliver countered before he took the mango slice with his teeth, “mmm… sweet like you.”

  “Down boy,” Nikita teased as she started cutting the mango again.

  Oliver said, “I’ll go check on the eggs.”

  “And the sausage.” Nikita corrected. Oliver and Nikita continued like this until all the others had joined and were helping put breakfast on the table. Then they enjoyed a nice, warm meal.

  “You are an excellent cook Nikita. Thank you for the meal,” Kappa said thankfully.

  “It was my pleasure. It’s not often that I get to make such a fine meal for friends,” answered Nikita. At that Horus attempted to tease her saying that she probably doesn’t have any other friends.

  “Brave words considering you’re unarmed,” retorted Nikita as she shifted her left arm to reveal a sheathed dagger near her wrist. She smiled challengingly at Horus.

  “You win this round, but don’t get cocky,” Horus commented.

  “Smarts and brawn don’t win every battle—sometimes one must be cunning,” Nikita quoted. After that everyone laughed and joked as they ate. Nikita listened to the boys have their laughs as she hoped for some information about where they used to live, since they didn’t really look like siblings. No clues were revealed.

  Once everyone was done eating, Nikita and Oliver cleaned up, then walked down a hall, over to the dojo. “Wanna spar? We can use real blades if you want” asked Oliver.

  “You mean do I want a chance to knock you on your ass? Yup. Oh, and I only use real blades,” teased Nikita. Oliver drew his katanas as Nikita unsheathed her family daggers. They went to opposite sides of the dojo and turned to face each other. Horus was off to one side of the room, as he beat the crap out of a practice dummy. Dakota was playing with his tech in the surveillance room. Kappa was going from room to room to check on the boys and help them with their technique. Mikey was flailing his kamas around, trying to avoid hitting himself in another room.

  Nikita charged, letting loose her ululating battle cry. Oliver felt a shiver go down his spine as he saw her charge at him, with her eyes changing from emerald green to a repti
lian yellow. He moved to block her sharp blade as she went for a right jab, but his stance faltered and she grazed his side near his ribs. Nikita smiled as she slid back a stride or two. It was an invite to strike and a cocky move, but Oliver went for it as he raised one of his katanas to do a downward slash. Nikita waited till the last second, then lifted her daggers up forming an “X”. As she blocked Oliver’s blow, her arms gave way a bit, and Oliver smiled as he pushed his katana forward. Nikita backed off some, allowing Oliver’s katana to come closer to her face.

  Suddenly, Nikita roared as she tapped into her anaconda strength and pushed back against Oliver’s katana, sending him stumbling back a few feet. Nikita twirled the dagger in her right hand till it came to rest with the blade facing behind her and the hilt facing Oliver. She charged him again, jumped and did a horizontal spin before she landed crouched in front of him. Oliver looked down at her, surprised. Nikita smiled. She sprung upward and thrusted the dagger hilt, in her right hand, up and into his jaw. He flew up and backwards. Nikita landed crouched over him with the dagger in her left hand resting over his throat. Oliver moved his head carefully so that he could look at her. Nikita hissed teasingly, “Do you yield?”

  Oliver dropped his katanas and showed her his hands as a sign of surrender, “Nice moves. Where did you learn to fight like that?”

  “I learned from my Master,” Nikita answered.

  “I’d like to meet this Master of yours.”

  “Unfortunately Master Jasmine died 63 years ago,” Nikita said as she sheathed her daggers. Oliver apologized as she helped him up. “It’s okay. She lived as she died, fighting the good fight,” said Nikita, “She was a good teacher… and my best friend.”

  After a couple rounds of sparring, Oliver and Nikita went to the living room and took care of each other’s cuts. Nikita began to put a wet washcloth to a small cut on Oliver’s cheek. Oliver gasped in pain as it touched his open flesh. Nikita kept her hand still. “Well hold still and it won’t sting, Ollie,” snapped Nikita after dealing with Oliver gasping in pain five times.