Chapter Eleven: Departure

Nok-toon slithered through the cavern that was the nagas’ village and came to a broad, shallow reflecting pool the nagas used for soaking and bathing. She slid into the water; the calm only minutely disturbed by how gracefully she could maneuver her massive body. Small ripples disturbed the placid surface and sent shimmers from the surrounding torches dancing across the pool. Once settled, she brought her right hand up to her mouth and placed her left upon her belly. With her left, she applied a firm push, and flexed her abdominal muscles smartly, causing the contents of her belly to enter her esophagus and come up. Vela gently slid out of the naga’s mouth and off her tongue directly into her waiting right hand. She had Leo cradled against her abdomen in her own right hand.

Nok-toon gazed down at the slime-covered couple and covered her mouth with her left hand as she blushed.

“Welcome back,” Nok-toon said. Vela and Leo looked around.

“It’s good to be back, though I must say, the ‘room’ you made for us was most cozy,” Leo shouted up at the naga. Nok-toon’s blush deepened.

“Well, you’re certainly free to... visit any time you please, bold and sweet little man,” she cooed. Vela smiled and shook her head. She was pleased to see that Leo was learning how to rub the nagas the right way since she planned to temporarily leave him in their care. She just hoped his flattery didn’t get him into any trouble that was ‘too deep.’ “I thought it best to let you out in the soaking pool so you two could... wash me off of you,” the naga said, her cheeks never losing their deep crimson hue.

“Very considerate of you,” Vela said. “I could go for a soak.”

“Yeah, I guess you don’t realize how... sticky you get when you spend the whole day... well,” Leo said, gesturing at his slimy skin. “Until you get out, that is.” The naga was resting with her back on the stony wall, her torso sloping downward into the water. The waterline came up just below her human waist, her serpent half entirely in the pool. Vela carried Leo down Nok-toon’s belly and waded into the water until she was standing on the naga’s tail and the water was up to her own knees. She sat down on the scales and let Leo rest on her tummy. They both began to use the cool water to scrub themselves clean.

After they were satisfied with their cleanliness and had soaked for a while, they heard a familiar voice calling to them.

“Hello, honored guests!” Ek-teen called to them as she slithered over from a cluster of homes. Jackie strode alongside her, walking upright like a proper human for the first time Leo had seen. Her leg showed no hint of the wound save for a faint scar. She was wearing an interesting outfit that appeared to be designed for a naga, so they had to compensate a little to make it work. Nagas seemed to come in all sizes, but they didn’t have a need for pants for obvious reasons. Jackie appeared to be wearing a modified ceremonial garb designed only to drape around the waist and cover the front, but they had sewn two of them together so she could cover her rear as well. For a top, she wore what looked like a simple, decorative and loose wrapping that he had seen the warriors wearing when they took down the hunters the night before. The outfit was very minimal and barely covered Jackie’s muscular physique. Leo figured the nagas only wore clothing outside the den, and then, only for practical purposes. It was kind of them to provide something for Jackie. He wondered where his own clothes had gotten off to, suddenly a little shy about his nudity, though he wouldn’t make a show of it.

“Jackie!” Leo called out happily. “Good to see you back on your feet! Well, as a human, I mean.” Jackie and Ek-teen arrived at the edge of the water next to Nok-toon.

“Yeah, good to be back on two legs,” she said a little bashfully, rubbing her left elbow with her right hand and looking to the side. It was one thing to Jackie constantly averting her gaze from all of the nude nagas around, but Vela and Leo, too? She was starting to feel strange for being the only one wearing clothes.

“We washed your things,” Ek-teen said, extending her arms to show a tidy stack of folded clothes. Leo’s clothes were folded on top, and his satchel sat atop the linens.

“You’re too kind,” Vela said. “Please, just set them down by the edge. We’ll get them in a minute.” Vela took Leo in her right hand and slid off the naga into the water. She waded towards the edge and set Leo down on dry land. Then, Vela pulled herself up and out, the water running over her naked body, making her glisten with gold in the torchlight. Ek-teen and Jackie both eyed her with admiration. ‘Gosh, she’s beautiful,’ Jackie thought. Then, Jackie noticed the stump of Vela’s left wrist where her hand should have been. The naga, Ek-teen, had informed her that her companion had been injured in the events that transpired the night before, but the warning couldn’t have prepared her for how guilty she would feel once she saw the damage with her own eyes. She was so lucky they had all fought for her. She would find a way to make it up to them.

Ek-teen offered Vela a large section of fine cloth she’d had draped over her shoulder for a towel, and Vela dried herself off. Vela let the towel hang low, and Leo grabbed a corner of it with which to do the same. The two of them got dressed, and Leo slung his satchel across his back.

“We’ve prepared a meal for the three of you, if you’d be so kind as to join me?” Ek-teen said. Vela raised an eyebrow.

“Really? Even for me?” Vela asked. Ek-teen blushed.

“Well, for Jacqueline and Leo, but, you’re free to choose as you please... out of anyone you like,” Ek-teen said. Vela smiled.

“That’s incredibly generous of you. As it happens, I could use a little... extra nourishment. I’ll explain myself over ‘dinner.’ But I deeply apologize in advance that it will have to be brief,” Vela explained. Ek-teen nodded vigorously and beckoned them to follow her. Nok-toon remained in the pool. “Thank you again for everything, Nok-toon. You’ve been an exquisite host,” Vela said.

“Yes, you were amazing,” Leo agreed.

“You two are always welcome to call upon me. It was really my pleasure. It was the greatest privilege,” Nok-toon said, looking a little flustered. “I’ll certainly never forget it.” Vela smiled, bowed, and turned to follow Ek-teen. She lowered her right hand, and Leo hopped up and into it before being placed on Vela’s left shoulder.

They followed Ek-teen into her home. It was a little smaller than Nok-toon’s, as was she the smaller naga, though she was still enormous my human standards. She didn’t have anything that counted as seats, so she had repurposed some wooden boxes for the legged women to sit upon at her table. She had some smaller nagas bring out a plate of greens and vegetables for Jackie who smiled when she saw them. One of the smaller nagas set the plate in front of Jackie, and then the two nagas moved off to the side to await any other requests.

“Oh, thank goodness! These look delicious!” Jackie exclaimed. She had been a little worried that the nagas might expect her to swallow a rat or something.

“We apologize that we don’t have any protein on hand for you, Jacqueline. We were afraid you wouldn’t be able to handle any of our... preferred dishes. But we all supplement our diets with greens as well and thought that would be suitable until we can hunt something down that can be properly prepared. If you wouldn’t mind apportioning some of your meal for Leo?” Jackie nodded appreciatively. Leo hopped onto the table and sat beside Jackie’s plate. She pushed some greens toward him in a small pile so he could pick and choose what he liked. He was thankful for the freshness of the meal. As Jackie and Leo ate their fill, Ek-teen addressed Vela.

“As for you, most lovely night walker, if you require sustenance, I insist that you not be shy. Any of us would be willing to give you the blood you need. We know it’s no perfect substitute for human...” she said, glancing at Jackie. Jackie paused while eating, and looked up from her meal, attentive to the conversation. “But, we nagas are keen on being adequate hosts, and I think you’ll find our blood potent, if not quite human.” Jackie finished chewing her mouthful of food and swallowed.

“You can have some of mine, Vela. That is, if you want...” she said. “I’m... sorry about your hand.” Vela smiled softly at Jackie. She really would prefer some of the human girl’s blood, but she knew that she was more or less ‘good-to-go’ in terms of needing it. She just didn’t want to run for days on an empty stomach. She also understood that, in the oddly reversed way that the naga’s brain worked, she would take it as an extreme compliment if Vela took her up on the offer and would perhaps feel slight offense at being turned down. Nagas enjoyed being useful. Vela reached across the table and placed her right hand on Jackie’s left. Jackie flinched slightly, not out of fear, but out of her feelings of guilt.

“Please, Jackie, don’t mention the hand. There’s no bad blood between us,” Vela said. “Though, I don’t suppose your ‘little ones’ managed to find it, did they?”

She turned to Ek-teen.

“No, I’m very sorry. They searched until the sun was high in the air. There was nary a sign of your missing hand, night walker. I’m... very sorry.” The naga bowed remorsefully. Vela sighed.

“It’s quite alright. I’ll just have to make do without one for now. Maybe I’ll get lucky and find a replacement. In the meantime, I would very much like to take you up on your offer of blood...” Vela said as she slowly stood up from the table. She walked around the room, passing by the two smaller nagas. She looked them in the eyes one by one as she passed them by. Leo saw a flicker of something strange flash in their eyes. He thought it was a mixture of fear and excitement. Vela arrived in front of Ek-teen; the petite vampire being dwarfed by the naga at under half her height.

“Who are the two little ones who searched for my hand?” Vela asked. Ek-teen seemed to shiver strangely at Vela’s voice. Leo recognize her tone. It was the voice she used to entice her prey into a state of fearlessness and compliance. He had never actually seen her use it to this effect before, and he was fascinated. Ek-teen pointed slowly at the two smaller nagas by the wall.

“Those are they,” she said in a sluggish voice.

“Then I will thank them for their efforts personally,” Vela said, turning on her heel, and strutting confidently back towards the nearest of the ‘smaller’ nagas. Ek-teen referred to them as ‘little ones,’ but they were both slightly larger than a human, at least with regard to their torsos. But their snake tails made them much heavier overall. However, Vela, having arrived in front of the closest naga, placed a hand around the creatures waist and lifted her slightly. She lifted the heavy serpentine woman effortlessly and pulled her up onto the table, dragging her across the long surface until her torso and a sizable portion of her tail was on top of the table.

“Thank you for your efforts... what is your name?” Vela asked the young naga calmly.

“I am Flo-ren,” the little naga replied in a squeaky voice. Vela smiled at her, holding the naga’s gaze with her own. Vela ran her fingers through Flo-ren’s dark hair.

“Beautiful name for a beautiful naga. Vela leaned in close to Flo-ren’s ear and whispered something inaudible. The naga shivered with delight. Then, Flo-ren took Vela’s head gently between her hands, pulled her face up to her own, and kissed her on the lips. Leo was a little surprised, but what he was feeling was very far from jealousy. He was getting strangely excited watching his lover work on the young naga. It was like witnessing a work of art. The naga broke the kiss, and softly pushed Vela’s head down, guiding her south. Vela’s tongue slithered out and dragged along the naga’s skin on her way down. Leo seriously wondered if he was about to witness Vela feed, or if things were about to get really intense.

His question was answered when the naga slightly tapped Vela on the head right as her lips arrived at Flo-ren’s left hip, just above her waist. Vela made a sound like a sultry laugh, and then kissed the naga where she had stopped before softly sinking her teeth into her tender skin.

“Oh-h-h-h, yes. What a bite!” Flo-ren cried out. Leo could tell that she was genuinely enjoying the pain caused by being bitten in such a sensitive place. He glanced around the room at the other faces, and all were enthralled. Ek-teen was chewing on her lip at the display. The other, smaller naga hovered close by, apparently eagerly awaiting her turn. He turned to look up at Jackie, who was seated right behind him. Jackie, too, looked intensely focused on the ordeal. Leo noticed movement and glanced down to see that her right hand was rubbing the place Vela had bitten her the night before. But, as Jackie stared at the ritual, her hand began to slowly inch up her thigh. Leo looked away. So, he wasn’t alone. Something about watching Vela feed was having an undeniably erotic effect on all present. It hasn’t been that way when he’d watched her feed on Green. Maybe this was the norm?

Vela finished with Flo-ren and licked the wound clean. She made to look Flo-ren in the eye, but she had them closed. She was squirming awkwardly on the table. Vela smiled.

“M-m-m, Ek-teen was right. Your blood is quite potent. But I can’t get my fill from you, little one.” Vela’s head turned to face the other small naga. “Lie down,” she said. The naga fell like a tree behind Leo and Jackie, making them jump. Vela walked around the table and got down, crawling on top of the naga. She whispered something else inaudible in the naga’s ear.

“Flo-tess!” The naga answered to the unheard question. Another whisper. The naga nodded quickly and pointed to the skin right below her left breast. Vela slowly followed her direction, and bit into the soft skin. Flo-tess cried out like the first naga had; a mixture of pleasure and sharp pain. She covered her eyes with her hands and bared her teeth, hissing loudly. She then placed one hand on the back of Vela’s head and seemed to pull her more tightly against herself. Flo-tess bit down on her other hand by the knuckles.

When Vela has finished and licked the wound clean, she kissed Flo-tess on the forehead. The naga didn’t appear aware of her presence anymore. She, too, was shaking strangely.

“Most delicious,” Vela complimented. “You’re as strong as your sister.” Leo suddenly understood the similarity of their names and appearances. Both nagas had nearly black hair and dark blue eyes, and their names began with ‘Flo.’ They were siblings.

Leo surveyed the room once more. Jackie appeared to have snapped out of her trance at being startled by the second naga falling to the floor behind her. Now, she looked at the first girl, Flo-ren, with interest. Flo-ren had a silly grin on her face, and her hands were moving actively as she rubbed her own skin all over. Leo guessed that the venom was making her have some kind of very pleasant reaction. Ek-teen looked downright fit to burst. Something was building up within her at witnessing the display.

Vela stood up and approached the much larger naga. “Your little one’s are wonderful girls. You should be very proud,” Vela said. Ek-teen smiled shakily, nodding her head.

“Are... are you quite full, night walker?” Truthfully, Vela found their blood delicious. But it lacked the same spiritual constitution as human blood. It didn’t fill her up the same way. She realized that, if she wanted to, she could probably take a few sips from the whole village. But not tonight. She was on a schedule. She raised her right hand up as if to say, “no more.”

“Next time, Elgara-ek-teen,” she said, and Ek-teen’s demeanor transformed. She appeared to come back to her senses. “Sometime soon. But for the moment, I have to inform you of an errand I must run, and it comes with a small request.” Leo knew what this was, but Jackie had no idea. Vela looked at the two happily squirming nagas on the table and floor.

“Perhaps we should give these two a break. Jackie? Leo? If you’d be so kind as to follow me outside with Ek-teen?” Leo nodded.

“Jackie, would you mind?” Leo asked.

“Hm? What? Oh! No, of course,” she said a little flustered. “How do I... and where?”

“You can just pick me up. And your shoulder would work,” Leo answered. Jackie carefully picked Leo up and set him on her left shoulder and went to follow Vela and Ek-teen outside. “Just a heads up,” Leo whispered. “I hope you aren’t too creeped out by our hosts, because we’ll be with them a few more days,” he warned. She gulped and nodded.

“They’re... okay,” she whispered. “I just hope they aren’t still mad about how much I screamed when I woke up.” Leo chuckled. “You two have a lot to catch me up on!”

“I’ll tell you everything. But first, let’s just hear Vela out. She’s got to do something on her own,” Leo said. Jackie got a little stiff.

“Like... something that involves leaving us here? Alone?”

“I’ll watch your back,” Leo said. Jackie actually softened a bit at hearing this. She believed he would. He had so far. But she thought her life was also getting all the stranger for having met him. But it was better than being dead. Better by a long shot.

Jackie followed Vela and Ek-teen out of the home and around a bend until they arrived at a somewhat private square. Leo assumed it would be more bustling around here during the day, but at this hour, even the naga slept. Apparently, they weren’t the nocturnal type. Vela and Ek-teen had been talking as they walked, and as Jackie and Leo caught up to them, Ek-teen was nodding.

“It’s true, what you say, Vela. Even now, I can perceive the change. It’s subtle, but you are different than you were last night, and I don’t think that Nok-toon is to thank for this,” Ek-teen said. Leo understood her meaning. He wasn’t sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but Vela looked visibly different. Her skin was a little less pale, she had felt warmer, and he’d even thought he had seen some color in her cheeks but wondered if it could just be the light playing off her pink eyes. Vela nodded in turn and glanced at Leo.

“I know. But I don’t know what it means. You have my sincere thanks for your understanding. Our tribes are intertwined,” Vela said, raising her arms. Ek-teen looked momentarily stunned, and then, smiled as she wrapped around Vela quickly, constricting her tiny body in her massive, strong coils.

“We are intertwined!” Ek-teen cried delightedly. Then, she unraveled herself from around Vela. “We will take care of our new family. You have nothing to fear. No harm will come to them.”

“Your word is all the assurance I need, Ek-teen,” Vela said, bowing. “Now, I need to say my goodbyes to my companions.”

“Of course, I’ll leave you to it. They can find me back in the house where we left the little ones,” Ek-teen said. She slithered past Jackie and Leo, smiling lovingly at them as she went by.

“So, all is well?” Leo asked.

“Yeah, you... make sleepover arrangements with their mom for us?” Jackie asked with a hint of sarcasm.

“As a mother would she watch over you,” Vela began, “but I wouldn’t think of her as a mother,” she finished with a sly grin. “Sorry I didn’t have a chance to warm you of my plans, Jackie. Something came up rather suddenly. I have to attend to it. I’ll trust Leo to explain. But I have to go. I have far to run.” Jackie nodded.

“It’s fine, I guess. You two did save my life. And I suppose the agreement was that ‘my life is yours’ or whatever. Not like I’m gonna argue with a vampire and an army of snakes... oh, or you, Leo. Especially not you,” Jackie said. Vela chuckled. She walked over to Jackie and placed her right palm on Jackie’s face. Jackie froze up a little at the touch. It’s not that she was afraid of Vela, though, in truth, she was a little, but she just had no idea how to react to the Vampire’s body language. She couldn’t read it.

“I’ll be back to assess your progress in looking after yourself, young human. But, in the meantime, listen to Leo,” she said with a smile. Then, she snatched Leo off of Jackie’s shoulder and brought him in for a kiss. She kissed him over and over again lovingly. Jackie blushed, but didn’t look away. Vela pulled her lips away from him.

“You seem more up to snuff on how to talk to and deal with the nagas,” she began. “They’re... probably going to put you through the ringer anyway. Don’t worry about it. Try to have fun. Relax, fall back on Jackie if you need a break. They’ll respect your privacy as your own ‘tribe,’ and... be responsible.” She said.

“What do you mean? I’m very responsible,” Leo joked, though he was getting the idea.

“Just don’t end up in anyone’s second stomach. So... stay away from anyone the size of Nok-toon without me around. Jackie doesn’t count,” Vela said, chuckling. Jackie’s face twisted a little. What was all that supposed to mean?

“Okay, Vela. I get it. All of it. Thank you. I think we are going to be fine, though I’d rather share any and all strange new experiences with you,” he admitted. “But the sooner you’re back, the better,” he said, and hesitated. Then, he said, “I’ll be too damn warm without your touch.” Vela swooned over him and brought him back into her lips for a long kiss. She drank in his beautiful warmth.

“I’ll be colder without your flame... be well, my love. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Best run fast then. I hope you find what you’re looking for, my night. I love you.” They kissed once more. Vela let out a deep sigh.

“Okay,” she said, stepping over to Jackie. “Take this one or I’ll never leave.” Jackie was truthfully unwilling to take Leo from Vela, even when asked to. Leo chuckled, and deftly hopped from Vela’s hand at Jackie’s chest. The girl yelped and caught him reflexively.

“Goodbye, Jackie. Goodbye, Leo, my sun.” She blew him a kiss, and before he could catch it, there was a gust of wind in the wake of Vela’s departure, her sudden explosion of speed so fast, Leo had to blink in the torchlight to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him.

“Good, bye,” he mumbled.

“Wow... she’s really something.” Jackie said in awe.

“You have no idea,” Leo replied.