A Nagas tale

Let sleeping Naga lay

After that entire fiasco, Kogen sat me down last night and told me I needed to go with him to his job. I refused at first, unsure if it would be okay for me to go with him. He seemed hurt by my refusal but he asked me again. He told me how uneasy he felt after what had happened. I agreed and today was the first day of work. I struggled with the snow and the new flats shoes he gifted me. He stops at the edge of the forest we had been walking through. I grab his sleeve as I catch up to him my flates getting stuck in the snow for the 10th time. I frown reaching for the damned thing before fixing it back onto my foot. I suddenly hear whispers from in front of me. I looked up at Kogen wondering what was going on. "Good morning Leader!" I turn my eyes to the rows of men enthralled in what looks like training. 'oh yeah Idris and Leo said something about him being a Leader.' I didn't think much of my presence here. "This way," he tells me before walking away. I turn to him and nod following after his long stride hoping from one hole to the next. 'Man this brings me back.' I giggle to myself as I bump into Kogen. I step back and look at him "Hm? Is something wrong?" I ask "Excuse me, sir!" I turn to the man that had walked up to us. I have not seen this guy or met him before. "Uhm is this a recruit?" he asks mockingly. I tilt my head wondering what there was to mock. "uhm.." I watch him take a step closer to me. I take a step back towards Kogen. The way he inched closer was not sitting right with me. I let out a yelp when Kogen wraps his arms under my boobs and lifts me out of the snow one of my flates falling off my foot. "No, you will not get near Audrey unless you wish to be killed," he warns. The man steps back and nods "Uhm.. yes! sir!" He shouts before running off. I look up at Kogen not happy with being carried like a feral cat. "uhm.." He peeks at me "Don't back away from these guys, they will take that as weakness." he huffs. I shrug "Why do I need to prove strength when I got you?" I ask honestly not seeing how my backing away or not would change that. He grins widely showing me his protruding fangs. "True," he answers before putting me back down I quickly pick up my shoe and put it back on. I look towards the men who watched us before following after Kogen. I could see these men's auras and I knew that no matter what I did my strength was laughable in comparison. We finally get to his office where it's warm and the snow is cleared out by the catwalk. He had me sit and wait on the sofa in the center of the room. I look around seeing a lot of books and scrolls lying around. After 3 hours of doing nothing, I felt bored. "Audrey! Audrey! let's go play hide and seek!" Yyvonne offered. I smile ready to follow after her "Audrey stay there, it's not safe for you to go out there." I turned to Kogen who didn't lift his face from the papers he was reading. I frown "But it's boring!" I answer which caught his attention. He puts down the paper and holds out his hand. "then come here and help me look through these papers." he offers. I look at Yyvonne who is already pouting. "Yyvonne you can ask the others to play with you." He huffs to which Yyvonne quickly takes off. 'Uhm isn't that..' I felt worried after what I had seen and had been told before. "She will be fine, the men here helped raise her so she is not in any danger." He answers my unspoken question. I nod walking over to him and finding a spot to sit. He looks at me and picks me up letting me sit in his lap. "I don't need you passing out from the cold," he mutters. I look up at him 'The office is warm thought.' I snicker when I realize it's an excuse. "ya'know if you want me to sit in your lap all you have to do is ask." I taunt before picking up a small stack of papers to read.

I did not think about what Audrey would do while I worked. So offering her something she was used to was my only option. The first few days she sat with me reading over the reports and summarizing them for me. Today is the third week she's been coming with me and a lot of the men have started asking questions. I spot some of them looking into the open door curiously. This morning I smelt Blood on Audrey."Hmm, hun.... I mean Kogen what does it mean when they say anomolies?" She asks pointing at the paper she held. Over the last week, I've caught her trying to use pet names but always corrected herself. "Anomalies something out of the ordinary," I answer to which she pokes her finger under my chin. " I understand what the word means but I was asking in what context would spotting snakes be an anomaly?" she bites back at me a habit I find amusing. "Snakes?" I ask looking at the paper she held. "yeah, it says there were a large number of snakes spotted around the port village of Zeras." she points out to me. I take the paper from her and frown "hm it means we need to increase patrols." I feel annoyed. "are snakes bad?" she asks curiously. I would think she was dumb for asking but with what I now know I understand she is honestly asking. "hm not that bad but, some of them are nut cases part of extremist cults." I answer "cults? They exist here too?" she asks turning her full attention to me. I nod "hm there are a few that exist but they are not good." I explain. She twists her body to face me better lifting her knees to her chest and waiting for me to continue explaining. "Oh wait I feel like I missed a point... There are snake people too?" She backtracked I nodded "Hm well nagas are similar to them." I point out. She smacks her forehead hitting her eye "Ow! Ugh I can't get used to this." she grumbles rubbing her forehead. I chuckle watching her pout. "I guess you have a point but why do you make it sound bad that they are coming around?" she asks curiously. I frown not wanting to scare her with what my mother told me. "They are just generally not safe so don't get out of my sight," I answer with a half-truth. She slowly nods and leans onto my chest. "hmm Is it alright if I take a nap?" she asks. I can smell her pheromones coming off strong and I notice her face is pale "It's fine I can finish up the rest." I assure her taking the pages from her hands. She nods rubbing her face on my chest something I've grown used to and felt uncomfortable when she did not do so. I listen to her breathing even out slowly as she falls asleep. I focus on the reports tracing back the reports of these snakes to two weeks ago. 'why are they coming into Ezra during the winter?' I wondered as the time ticked by. The peace is quickly shattered by my doors being slammed open. "Leader!" I look up at the lowest-ranking officer I had sent out to patrol the village outskirts. "what is it?" I ask not really in the mood to listen to the complaint of people stealing or fighting. "We have come into contact with a large number of snake beast men," he states. I look up at him finding his urgency. "Block them from entering the village! make sure all ends of the village are covered." I shout the order. "Y..yes sir!" he quickly runs out to give out my orders. Audrey lets out a soft whine curling up tighter as I pick her up. 'You forgot to take the medicine this morning.' I sigh as I lay her down on the sofa with Yyvonne who is also sleeping. 'this is the safest place for her to be.' I quickly rush out after covering Audrey with a throw blanket.