A Nagas tale

The grief of the past

I lay in the hospital bed unsure if I was alive. Unsure if what I felt was life or death slowly taunting me. 'My baby.' I touch my stomach knowing the little life I was growing is gone. I feel so numb to the world even though it is full of chaos. The sound of men shouting and taking orders the echos of footfalls. I lift my hand looking at the hands that failed to protect something so little. I let out a scream of disgust 'How!? how could I have failed such a precious little life!?' I sit up annoyed with the sound of the machines beeping with my vitals. I remove the heart monitor on my fingers and rip the IV needle sending the machines into a panic. 'Why did I survive!? Why did I not die with my child!? why!? why!?' I try to get out of bed only to be bum rushed by Leo and Idris as they try to sit me back onto the bed. "Audrey!" They shout wanting me to calm down. 'Why!? why!? why not me!? why only them!?' I felt like I was going crazy. 'My baby why did they take it!? why did they kill it!? what fault did my child have!?' I headbutt Leo wanting nothing more than to destroy everything that held me from my baby. 'My baby! give me back my baby!' I fight against Idris as he tries to shove me down onto the bed. I kick and scratch screaming in anger "Why!!? Why!? What did my baby do to anyone!?" I shout wanting answers. "Let her go." Idris does as Kogen orders. I sit up and rush towards the door. 'I need to kill it... I need to see them dead all of them!' I gasp as Kogen wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me off the ground. I shake my head "NO! NO! NO! I WANT THEM ALL DEAD! DEAD! DEAD!!!" I shout scratching at his arms wanting him to let me go. I kick at him just wanting this pain to be aliveated in any way. "Why!?" I gave up once I realized Kogen was not going to let me go. I sink into myself crying out the anger I felt. "My baby! why!?" I sobbed as I watched Leo and Idris leave the room. Kogen turned me to face him before he sat down on the bed. He hugged me tightly hiding my face under his chin. I hug him tightly wanting this pain to go away. 'I was so excited, I was so excited to hold them... to talk to them...' I shrink against his large body I felt like nothing. I felt like a weak pile of skin and nerves numb to everything but this gut-twisting pain. 

The general stands outside of the door listening to the heartbroken cries of his new grandchild. His heart only shattered the longer he lingered. Aurora scoffs "It's just a baby. why does she need to make such a big deal." "IT was not just a baby." The General scolds Aurora. She steps back seeing her grandfather hold back tears. "Are you and Helen aware of what that child meant to the Naga tribe?" he asks. Aurora looks at him curiously before he starts walking away from the door not wanting to create any more discomfort for the grieving mother and father. "Have you bothered to ask Audrey how many Naga members there are?" He asks as he walks down the corridor. Helen joined them silently listening to his teaching. "No, why would I want to know?" She asks with a scoff. "There were four Nagas in this world," he answers her sternly. Aurora stops walking the color in her face draining. "what?" she asks. He stops and turns to her "There were four members but, now their numbers have been reduced back down to three members." Aurora covers her mouth in shock at the information. Helen lowers her eyes to the ground "Kogen told me about it." Helen answers turning away from Aurora. She turns back to the hospital room they had just been standing by. "How can there only be?" "due to our tribe's ignorance and sin." The general answers waving her over ready to tell her about their tribe's past and their hand in the demise of the Naga tribe. Aurora follows him as he starts his story. 'This happened long before we came into this world. There were four gods, The Pheonix bares of fire and stone, The Thunderbird bares of Wind and rain, The Leviathan bares of life and water, and The Naga Bares of destruction and war.' He starts by introducing the first beasts to roam the world. 'These tribes were given life by the void, together these beasts were to create a world where they could co-exist and start the newest world in the stars. The Pheonix found a high mountain to claim as its nest, the Thunderbird a wonderfully cold world to roost. The Leviathan created his ocean to rest leaving the Naga a desert with nothing but sand and sun.' They walk into a library. The General leads them to a forgotten mural in the back of the room. He looks up at the painting of the four houses. 'The Naga found it unfair that his land was barren and unlivable.' He turns to the girls. 'He asked for aid, in creating a world where his people could thrive! The Phoenix and the Thunderbird both turned their heads selfishly and refused to aid him in creating a better world for his people. The leviathan simply mocked him for wanting to create something for creatures beneath them.' He opens the large dust-covered book under the mural. "The forest used to be a desert?" Aurora asks. The general nods stepping away from the book to show them the large city the Naga managed to create. Aurora's eyes widen in shock while Helen examines the picture. "this looks like our city." she points out. The general knits his brows 'The leviathan grew Jealous of what the Naga had managed to create while they slumbered. The large ports and businesses the city created also caught the attention of the Phoenix. The Phoenix wanted a part of that success but The Naga refused sighting their refusal to aid him in the enderve he went through to create the city.' Helen frowns looking at the pictures of all of the similar landmarks. 'The Leviathan offered the Phoenix the city if we aided him in killing off the Naga and its people.' Helen looks at the general her eyes wide with horror. 'Our ancestor went along with his greed and attacked the Naga with the leviathan ignoring the dangers they put the world in.' He flips the page showing an old portrait of a bloody war lost. 'The Leviathan lost a large number of its descendants and so did the Phoenix. With a large army of over 20,000 men against a small army of just over 10,000, the Naga tribe wiped the earth of almost all of the Leviathans and spared a third of the Phoenixes.' He frowns 'This win did not come without its losses. Their tribe consisted of only six Nagas had been cut down to two Nagas.' Helen slammed her hand on the book. "Don't tell me The Phoenix took everything from them!" She shouts. The general nods ashamed to admit what they had done. 'The Naga traded their lands just to remain left alone.' He answers. 'They took a ship marked for a new volcanic Island that is now Ezra Forest.' He explains. 'The Thunderbird seeing the destruction the Leviathan and The Phoenix created decided to seal the two away to never again influence this sort of damage all while the Naga vanished.' The General looks at them "I believed that they had grown in numbers since then but it seems the Government created by the Phoenix and the Thunderbird failed to do as they promised. I learned just recently from Audrey that Over the span of 40,000 years, their numbers kept getting cut down by our men who found them. It was only after Kogen killed the three leaders of the Island that The Naga managed to reclaim a grasp on their home." He explains the last piece of the puzzle. "But that was just recently." Aurora mutters to which The general nods "It seems The elder Naga had a son who escaped this world into another in order to protect any future Naga from the short life span that follows their tribe." He explains. "She and Kogen told us that in the meeting before." Aurora mutters. The general nods "I understand the decision Audrey's father made." He sighs "It seems The Leviathans are still trying to remove the Nagas from this earth and we failed to protect the newest member of their small tribe." he whispers. The girls look at each other feeling anger and sorrow all at once. "So that baby wasn't JUST a baby." Helen murmurs. "It was the symbol of a growing Tribe." Aurora whispers feeling sick with herself for being so cold. The General turns back to the book looking at their shameful past he wants to burn anything that indicates any pride for his tribe. "Sir!" A man runs up to the general bowing his head "We found this in the rubble of the mansion!" He hands the General a notebook and a black sword. He opens the book and sees ancient spells on every page he turns before finding Audrey's name scribbled on the cover. "Thank you, you may go." He answers watching the man leave. He looks at the sword in his hands "That's the sword Audrey was using." Aurora mutters. He nods "The ancestor she said is sealed in this sword, I wonder which Ancestor she's encountered." He mutters. "How can she carry around an ancestor in a sword?" Helen asks a question she did not get to ask before. The general looks at them and shakes his head. "I am not sure how she's managed to seal an ancestor into a sword like this." He mutters. "But, It is important from now on that we do not provoke the usage of it. Do not bring anger to Audrey, Do not bring pain or fear to her." he instructs the girls. They nod "Why not?" Aurora asks. The General nods "The ancestors referred to the Naga god as the world eater." His answer creates a silence that would drive anyone mad. Helen and Aurora look at the sword in horror "Had Audrey not been injured as she was, I believe that would have spelled doom for this world." He explains. Helen nods asking for the items from the general. He hands it to her without hesitation. "I hope you girls can mend the damage our ancestors created." he hands them his blessing. "Help fix the damage we have already created, and create a better world for all of us." he turns and closes the book. "Let us not repeat the sins of our ancestors." He looks up at the mural. The girls nod before leaving the general in the library. The girls walked silently unsure of what to say about the weight of the sin they had just learned they carried. They get to the door to Audrey's hospital room hearing nothing from inside. Aurora knocks on the door "Come in." Kogen answers from behind the door. Helen opens the door seeing him holding onto a sleeping Audrey. His arms are bandaged and his eyes seem distant. "What do you want?" He asks shortly. Helen steps in "We... we retreated Audrey's things." she answers nervously. He nods "Put them over there." he points with his chin at the bloodied royal purple bag on the chair. She sets the Items down on the chair looking at her new friend. "I... I am sorry for not being able to protect Audrey." Helen murmurs. Kogen turns his eyes to Audrey "How useless can I be to count on somebody else to protect my wife." He mutters. "I swore I did not want to see so much blood coming from her again. I failed to protect her again." He mutters. Helen looked at Aurora who seemed worried. He closes his eyes and lets out a deep sigh. "Nobody knew Audrey would be attacked." Aurora speaks up. He frowns "I felt something was not right when she hid her aura, but I felt safe knowing you two were with her." He answers. Helen shakes her head "We should have kept her where we were." she tries to take the blame. He sighs "Audrey was probably listening to the ancestor." he explains. "Listening to the ancestor?" Aurora asks. He nods "They communicate a lot via ancient communication spells." he explains. "You mean that thing can talk through a sword!?" Aurora asks recalling the voice that came from Audrey's aura. He sighs "You two should go." He mutters as Audrey turns over frowning in her sleep. "Ugh, no... give my baby." she whimpers lifting her head. Kogen pushes her head back against his chest "It's alright Audrey." He whispers to her. "They won't get them." he assures her. "Kogen, my baby." she whispers rubbing her face against his shirt. "We will leave." Helen quickly walks to the door "I want my baby back." Audrey whimpers. Kogen nods "Me too." He expresses his own pain. Helen closes the door her eyes fixed to the floor. "She's so destroyed." Helen whispers as she hears Audrey start crying again. "What did you want to name them?" Kogen asks trying to distract her. His question only gets sniffled answers "Iris, or Iven." Helen sighs "Let's go help the others clean up the mess." The girls leave the couple alone to grieve on their own.