The Volunteer
She walked with purpose, her long, straight, pale blond hair lying limply on her shoulders; the purple accents sparkling through it gave it a beauty that could not be explained.
She walked along the streets lined with the tall, silver-leafed trees that gave the sleepy, yet prosperous, town its name. Their branches hung low, and their shade spread out wide. Their silver leaves glistened in the midday sun and lit her way as she unhurriedly moved to her destination.
She had not been born there in Silver Vale, but it had been her home since she was three months old, so it was all she knew.
She quickly approached the town hall, the largest building in the village. Its large wooden doors seemed so inviting, their vivid green paint reminding her of nature and soft days that she had dreamed of but never actually experienced.
She entered without hesitation. She could not dawdle; she was told to do something, and hesitation brought pain, hungry nights, and quiet humiliation.
Her clothes were tattered, but she stepped up to the receptionist with her usual pride.
"Good morning, Mrs. Oberlin, I would like to volunteer for this year's sacrifice."
The pleasant-looking woman had looked up with a smile, ready to greet the pleasant young girl. Her smile dropped, and her words froze in her throat as the young beauty's words registered. She frowned.
"Good… Morning… Ardyn. You said you want to do what now?"
A pudgy man stood at his office door directly behind Mrs. Oberlin and listened attentively. He had sprung from his seat when he heard the blunt declaration.
His precious daughter was of age this year. He and his wife had many sleepless nights trying to figure a way out of things; they hadn't wanted their daughter to even be considered.
Ardyn set her feet, cocked her head up a bit, and repeated her statement without hesitation.
"I would like to volunteer myself to be the sacrifice to the Serpent Lord this year."
Still, the polite older woman was confused. She looked at the young woman with a wide smile, wanting to understand the joke, but her boss, Mr. Trist, stepped out of his office and immediately took over the situation.
"Okay, Mrs. Oberlin, we need to get her bathed, and dressed." He looked at Ardyn's thin body. "Fed as well." He turned to Ardyn. "Once you have volunteered you can't return home, you have to stay here at the Great Hall, but you will be well taken care of. Also, you will have to go through the ritual tonight; we can't have you changing your mind."
Mrs. Oberlin's frown deepened, her eyes never leaving Ardyn's calm, serene face. She wondered if the girl knew what she was doing, and Mr. Trist was moving entirely too fast, although everything he said was true.
Still…
"Mr. Trist. We first need to make sure that she understands what she is doing."
Mrs. Oberlin smiled at Ardyn, even as Mr. Trist frowned.
"Now, Ardyn…"
Ardyn nodded and cut her off before she could finish. "I understand very well, Mrs. Oberlin. I will be sacrificed for the good of the village, to ensure that the Serpent Lord continues protecting Silver Vale. He may eat me, turn me into one of his treasures, or make me a slave. We do not know what he does, but we never see the sacrificed ever again after they are given."
Mrs. Oberlin's frowned deepened, and Mr. Trist's smile broadened.
"You heard the girl, Olivia, she understands perfectly well. Let's get her ready."
"Yes, Mr. Trist."
And that was the start of maybe one of the best days of young Ardyn's life. She was bathed, groomed, given good food, new clothes, and allowed to truly rest. It was like some sort of odd dream for her.
That night she was led to the sacrificial cave. It was a jagged black hole in the side of the Great Mountain. Twenty men—the witnesses, and guards—walked behind her. Her long, forest-green gown flowed behind her solemnly, the only beautiful thing she could ever call her own, and she received it to be an appropriate sacrifice.
The men, walking behind her, wore robes of black, red, and gray; their hoods pulled low so they couldn't be identified. Their torches blazed harshly against the soft quiet darkness of the night.
They reached the cave, and she was given a torch, and instruction.
"You sacrifice yourself for the good of us all. Because of you, we will live another year with no worry of invasion by the surrounding beast-kin. Your name will be written in the book of our ancestors, Ardyn Stronghood, and you will always be remembered for your sacrifice.
"Enter the cave here. When you get to the Room of Gold step upon the altar-platform and await your fate. We will be here for forty-eight hours to ensure you do not try to escape. If we find you trying to escape, you will be sentenced to death, and your body returned here. So either way, this cave is your fate.
"Do you understand, Ardyn Stronghood?"
She nodded and spoke clearly and without fear. "I do."
Without waiting, she coolly turned and walked confidently into the black cave. The men stood watching as the bobbing light of her torch disappeared.
They may have thought it was an act, but it wasn't—it was just Ardyn. She walked into the cave without fear. What did she need to fear? Her life was too much of a horror show to be concerned about darkness or even giant serpents.
As she walked through the dark, she thought to herself.
'I was commanded, and I did as I was commanded. What do I need to fear here? It could never be worse than what awaits me at home if I disobey.
'Failure, and fear are both disobedience in this task.'
She saw the glow of the golden cave long before she ever reached it. When she stepped inside, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light.
As soon as they did, she saw the wonder of the smooth walls and floor and how some unknown light from high above shone everywhere.
She also saw the massive serpent watching her from the far end of the golden cave. His massive body was looping around a huge mound of gold and treasure, his head resting at the top, and his eyes were focused on her.
Even with those eyes on her she calmly looked about and found a notch in the wall to place her torch. She then moved to the platform and stopped in the middle of it.
Her mind was focused, her thoughts clear.
'All I have to do is be a sacrifice for the town; what comes next is of no importance.' Her thoughts stalled as she focused on the giant serpent.
'He truly is a striking creature, isn't he? There are things in my world that are so very beyond me.'
The serpent watched her keenly, and his eyes went wide at her next action.
She took in a big breath and spoke clearly.
"My name is Ardyn Stronghood, My Serpent Lord, and I am your sacrifice this year."
Everything went quiet. The serpent watched her, waiting, wanting her to flinch, show fear, or even worry.
The silver slits that were his eyes never blinked, waiting for any indication.
This whole time Ardyn waited for him. She was patient, calm, and focused. Her eyes never leaving his, as she waited for what came next.
Finally, the serpent's head rose. His gaze still fixed on hers. His great black body slid across the pile of treasure to face her directly.
The silver streaks in his scales glistened, as if they were fluid, every time he moved. He brought his huge, fanged head above her and looked down.
As he did, those amethyst eyes sparked something within him. Maybe it was a fond memory long forgotten; he couldn't place it.
"My sacrifice," He crooned, his long tongue jutting out after every other word. "And how are you so sure that you will be accepted."
She tilted her head up, determination rolling through her; this was the consequence. There was no turning back.
"That part is up to you, My Lord. Your will is my command."
He blinked.
He was incredulous and decided that he needed to see this human up close. He pulled his head back and a large black and silver mist surrounded him. When the mist dissipated, he was gone.
Her eyes went wide but she refused to lose focus. Her eyes stayed glued to the pile of gold and jewels. She registered the clink of metal as they slid against each other, and the flicker of light in their motion.
And then she heard his voice.
"Let me have a good look at you and see if I approve. "He walked, black and silver wisps of mist still flowing around him, in his beast-kin form. He stepped from around the pile of gold and calmly walked to her.
Relief flooded from her, and he almost stumbled when the taste of it touched his skin.
She stood taller, held her breath, and waited.
He had seen her well enough when he was above her; now he wanted verification. But her reactions continued to stun him, and then there were those beautiful jewels.
Those eyes.
He stepped to her, and she did not flinch, cringe, or even whimper. Her eyes roamed over his form. He was blacker than the darkest night that she had ever experienced. Silver motes flowed along his body from the top of his head out to his fingertips and down to his toes. His eyes were like silver mirrors, and she saw her reflection deep within them.
She frowned internally, how could a being so beautiful be so dangerous?
He traced a clawed black finger along her soft white cheek. Those jeweled amethyst eyes, calm, quiet, and searching. There was not a hint of fear even with him so near, even with his claw to her skin.
Why did he keep getting lost within those eyes? How was her skin so soft?
His eyes narrowed, and something deep, distant, and hidden stirred within him, and he found that he did not know what to do with her.
He cleared his throat softly. Ardyn jumped, a breath she didn't know she held escaped her lips. She felt as if she had just been released from a dream.
"Come. I will take you to your quarters, sacrifice."
"My… quarters?" She blinked rapidly, then moved quickly when she noticed that he had already begun walking from the cave.
Her mind whirled. Was life going to change that dramatically for her? Was it possible, even for someone like her?
'Ardyn', he kept saying her name over and over again, allowing it to roll about in his mind, allowing it to marinate and grow within his soul.
He liked it; a smile crept onto his face. He would enjoy his new sacrifice.
If he wasn't sure she was human, he would have thought someone had sent him an odd trap.
He frowned, even as his chest seemed to tighten. Confusion flowed through him like rushing rapids over slick river rocks.
He took her from the golden caves and towards his home.
He instinctively knew he had to have her; he just didn't know why.