A Nagas tale

How the Roots set

I had felt that thing on my neck before but always failed to get it out. Each time I tried to pull it out my muscles would burn and my spine felt like it would be yanked out with it. I chose to stay quiet about it worried that Kogen and the others would try to remove it. Kogen offered to use his aura to push out the needle but failed to remember that I had not fully recovered. I hug him as he starts pushing his aura into my body. I gasp feeling the same crushing sensation from before. 'If it will keep us safe on the rest of the trip. If it will stop them from tracking me.' I felt my heart struggle to keep pumping and breathing was becoming nearly impossible. I stop trying to hold onto Kogen forced to focus on breathing alone as I rest on him. I can feel his aura pushing whatever aura I had left out. His aura seeps into my spine creating a horrible pressure in my spine. I close my eyes unable to hold in the scream as it felt like my spine would burst from how harsh his aura felt. Like a fire burning within a tree, it burnt everything leaving nothing untouched. 

Audrey choked as she tried to breathe her arms had fallen limp a while ago. Troy and Ulysses watched in horror as Kogen forced his aura into her body. Her screams came quickly and died out just as fast. Roy pulled the needle out thinking it was just a small Needle. Their eyes widen as they see it has roots curling up towards the needle. Kogen's aura singed the ends even outside of Audrey's body. Kogen kept flooding her body with his aura despite her desperate gasps for air. "Kogen! we got it out!" Roy reaches for him. The golden aura cuts Roy's finger pushing him away. Audrey's aura suddenly burst into life. She gasped for air before shoving Kogen away. She falls onto her knees throwing up the contents of her stomach. Kogen looked at her worried but did not move. Audrey stops emptying her stomach and backs away.  The horror on her face was telling as the ground was splattered with wormlike roots. She spits out whatever is left in her mouth in horror. "W...what the hell is that?!" she shouts pressing herself up against Kogen who is still flaring his aura. "Save that needle and send it to Yuri," Kogen instructs Roy nods looking at the dead creature in his fingers. "How did you know to keep going?" Ulysses asks. Kogen rubs Audrey's back to calm her down. "My aura should not have been deadly to Audrey," he answers. "An aura bond!?" Troy asks looking at Audrey. Her eyes were still stuck on what she'd just thrown up. "So, you found it odd that she was struggling," Ulysses asks. Kogen nods "She's lived in my unrestrained aura for nearly a year so her body is already used to it." He explains. "I need to know what those things are. If they were blocking Audrey's aura gland they should be a cause for alarm." Kogen adds. Audrey's eyes widen "Wait! They were blocking my aura!?" she asks. "No way!" she gets up and runs back into the building. "Audrey!" Kogen picks Yyvonne up and runs after Audrey. "Guys!" she pokes her head out of the building. "I need your help!" she shouts before rushing back into the building. The group follows her inside and finds her turning over the dead bodies. "There is no way this is what this is about." she mutters to herself. "yeah! what that girl said before!" she answers as if she is talking to somebody. "Do you think this is also what created the war that ended your family!?" Audrey keeps turning over bodies. "Quick! everyone turn over the bodies and check the spot that needle was in!" she orders. After turning over three bodies Audrey backs away. In the back of their necks, they all had needles poking out. Her eyes widen "The Leviathans." she mutters turning to the others who noticed the same thing as she did. "What does this mean?" Troy asks. Audrey nods pulling out her book "This is... impossibly cruel." she whispers. "They poisoned the snakes quite literally," Audrey whispers as she pulls out her pen and starts writing down on the page. "what are you talking about?" Kogen asks. She looks at him and lifts her sword. "The reason the ancestor to the old world I lived in died!" she answers. "He told me about the snake tribe seeking out Naga blood to restore their auras!" Her answer startled Kogen. "They attacked the ancestor's children under the Leviathan's misguidance!" She starts flipping through her notes. "Earlier today too! there was a woman who said I was the naga that would restore their clan! I was so confused but this makes so much more sense!" she stops at a page. "I can't believe they are at it again here," she whispers walking over to Kogen she shows him the notes she had taken before. "So these people are different from the other ones?" Troy asks. Audrey shakes her head "No! I think they are all under the leviathan's rule while the leviathan's goal is to act on an old grudge the snakes are just trying to fix their missing auras." she explains. "Those snake men that attacked the village before," Kogen asks. Audrey frowns "They still had an aura, I just hope the leviathans have not gotten to them too." she whispers. He frowns "How is this happening?" Audrey mutters. Kogen hands her the book and fixes Yyvonne back into a cradling hold. "We need to get out of here." He tells Audrey. She crouches down near one of the bodies. Her pen scratches at the book as she draws the needle. "If that behemoth put the needle on me first, is there a chance the snakes are under threat of violence by the leviathans?" She mutters the question. "They used to be a tribe that followed us?" she asks. Her brows knitted together. "Audrey." He calls her again. She looks up at him and nods "We can go, I'm done noting it down." she answers. Troy and the others seemed curious about how patient Kogen was being with Audrey. He was the newest Leader after his uncle stepped down to take over the role of tribe leader. In the time he's known Kogen he was always very uninterested in him. He was always unwilling to listen to his rants and scolds simply scoffing and walking away. Troy felt angry with the man seeing as they were only a few years apart in age and still, he acted like he had no time for him. He walks behind the couple watching him listen to what Audrey was saying and then answering somebody who he could not see. "It's interesting what a man would do for his wife." Roy chuckles catching Troy's attention. "Do you believe he really wanted this marriage?" he asks. Roy nods "Kogen is a very picky man and he takes no nonsense from anyone not even his mother." Roy answers. "hm I still think this is an arranged marriage between the two tribes." Troy mutters. "Oh? how so?" Ulysses asks. "Well, she looks like she is part of the younger generations. More and More I've seen women pick the more attractive men." he points to himself. "Woah such a vain response." Roy laughs. "And that is why I dislike those with pretty faces." Audrey shouts followed by a cackle. Kogen lets out a groan "You are a handsome face nothing like the vain ones." she giggles. Kogen chuckles "What!? Are you saying you find him more attractive than me!?" Troy shouts unhappy that he'd been overlooked. Audrey nods not turning to him. "There is just, no way you could compete with Kogen." she answers. "huh? His face makes up for his personality. yeah right Don you have no taste!" She lifts the sword "Have you been asleep the entire trip!? Kogen is the best! I mean he is so gentle and so caring how would I say somebody is better based on looks? I swear this is how abusive relationships start." Audrey scolds the sword. "He is caring!? just cause you felt his method before was barbaric does not mean he did it intending to hurt me!" She frowns "You know what Don I think you should take a nap! I think Kogen's aura must have knocked some of your screws loose." she grumbles before putting her sword back on her hip. "I... Is she crazy?" Troy whispers. Kogen watches Audrey and sighs "It seems you are feeling better." he points out. Audrey looks at him and smiles "I feel a lot lighter than I did before." she answers. He smiles at her "What changed?" he asks. Audrey nods "If that thing latched onto our baby..." she looks away. He seemed to have caught on. "You feel better that it did not suffer from any illnesses it might have caused?" he asks. She nods touching her stomach. "If my baby was born sick because of my stupidity I would hate myself so much more." she whispers. He nods "I understand what you mean." He agrees. She smiles at him before bumping into him. "Ah, young love." Roy chuckles "I'm sorry but did you hear what she said?" Troy turns to Roy baffled that anyone would consider Kogen as caring. "I believe her." Ulysses chuckles. "How!?" Troy remains baffled as Ulysses walks towards the couple. "Look at Yyvonne." He simply answers before waving him bye.