Rise of the Nagas Chapter 6

The sun was slowly peaking up over the horizon on that particular Sunday morning, casting thin orange beams of sunlight over Porton. The moon still hung in the sky, shining like a pale silver coin that had been broken in half by some gigantic and powerful hand.
In the semi-lit streets of Porton, activity was already in motion. Squads of dark grey uniformed people were marching to and fro from one location to another. The gypsies on the other hand were carefully and quietly moving their wagons towards an area of Porton where there was a great amount of space; the plaza that nestled near the docks. The early morning activities from both sides were done in a quiet and efficient manner, disturbing only those who got up early on such mornings. As the sun slowly rose, the white house’s of Porton started to shine in the sunlight, banishing all but the deepest shadows. The Governors building stood tall, grim and defiant against such beautiful weather. It’s almost as if the very building itself seem to bleed an air of negativity and distrust that threatens to blot out everything that’s peaceful and joyous in Porton.

Within the massive basement of the Governor’s building, there were large boxes full of items that the Governor confiscated, tall items covered in dust sheets and near the centre were two Pylons. They stood about nearly two metres apart from each other. One of them had a faint blast mark on its side, as if someone tried to blow it up with explosives but failed to make as much as a dent on it. For an unknown amount of time, the Pylons remained in the basement, gathering dust and never to see the light of day.
Suddenly, the two Pylons started to crackle with some strange power. The carvings on the bodies and the eyes slowly started to glow in an ethereal turquoise light. Small bolts of energy arced and sparked towards the space in between the Pylons. The bolts collided with each other and formed a sphere that grew bigger and wider, eventually forming what appeared to be large turquoise circular rippling mirror.
It shimmered and then a figure emerged from it. It was a male naga in a dark green and black hooded robe. The portal shimmered again and a female naga in the same clothing emerged and stood by the male naga’s side. They both looked around, using the light from the portal as illumination.

“Hmmm...looks like Raikaa was right.” murmured the female naga, “We are in some type of basement.”

The male naga held up a hand, silencing her.

“Shhh...someone’s coming!” he hissed, “Quick! Into the shadows and remember; incapacitate swiftly and quietly!”

The female naga nodded and both she and the male naga slithered into the deepest shadows of the basement, just as the door was about to open.

Two men were working the early hours of the morning in the Governor’s building, mainly cleaning the hallways and offices. They were on their short break when they suddenly became aware of some strange glow emanating from the slither of space of the door leading to the basement. After a moment’s hesitation, the two men unlocked the door and switched on their torches. They descended the short flight of stairs, sweeping the area with their torches. They soon saw the turquoise glow coming from near the centre of the room.

“Go and switch the light on. I’ll check out that glow.” said the first man.

The second man nodded slowly, knowing that he’ll have to traverse through a number of items in order to find the light switch, which was located on the left hand wall. The second man skirted on the left hand wall whilst his colleague went ahead to investigate the glow.

The two nagas clung to the shadows as the torch lights cut through the darkness of the basement. The male carefully peered over a box and saw one man heading towards the portal whilst the other was heading towards what appeared to be a light switch on the wall. The male naga glanced at the female and pointed at towards the man heading towards the switch. The female nodded and slithered off to intercept the human. The male crouched and hugged the shadows, not daring to make sound until the moment was right.

The man crept through the miscellaneous items towards where the glow was. As he got nearer, the glow seemed sting at his eyes, causing him to squint from the glare. He turned round a corner and was confronted by the sight of the two Pylons glowing and the shimmering portal in between them. He gasped with mild surprise and was about to call his colleague when something thick and smooth clasped around his mouth, muffling his cries. He felt himself being spun around and was greeted by what appeared to be a pair of eyes with rippling rings of three different shades of green. As he stared, he slowly felt himself become more relaxed and lightheaded. His arms fell to his sides as he stared deeply into the rippling green rings, his own eyes mirroring them in response.

Meanwhile, the second man crept along the wall towards the light switch, somewhat unnerved by the strange glow and the dark claustrophobic atmosphere of the basement. He was just a metre away from the switch when he suddenly felt something wrap around his eyes and mouth and hauled him backwards with surprising strength. The man dropped his torch as he tried to prise off what had grabbed him, but his hands couldn’t get a firm grip on it due to its thick and smooth surface. He felt the thing around his eyes lift and saw what appeared to be rippling rings of violet, deep red and mid blue. They seem to overwhelm him as he couldn’t tear his gaze away. The colour of his own eyes was soon replaced with the pulsating rings and he limbs became relaxed and flaccid.

The male naga placed the hypnotised man to one side and peered over to see his colleague has achieved success on her part. She gave him a thumb up sign and grinned. The male naga nodded and slithered over to the portal.

“The coast is clear, your Highness.” he announced.

The portal rippled and King Ajan slithered through, garbed in a black hooded robe with mid green and gold bandings. Then more nagas and lamias slithered out of the portal one by one, all dressed as the same as the first two nagas that emerged earlier. King Ajan glanced around and turned around to face his squad. There were nineteen nagas and lamias, all in hooded cloaks and ready for action.

“Now, spread out and disable any opposition as quickly and quietly as you can.” he ordered, “Remember, I want no casualties. We’re here to show strength without resorting to conflict. Go!”

The squad nodded, slithered through the darkness and out of the basement. King Ajan turned to face the Pylons and muttered an incantation in Naganese. As if in response, the Pylons glow died down and flickered away to blackness, leaving the basement in darkness with indigo shadows. Two of the squad stayed behind to bring the two hypnotised humans out of the basement and into somewhere secure. King Ajan slithered to the top the stairs and close the door behind him, leaving the basement in darkness with the exception of the two torches that were discarded on the floor.

The naga task force swept throughout the building, catching unsuspecting staff off guard, hypnotising them and leading them to a large room on the ground floor where they’ll remain until the nagas say otherwise. Within the space of fifteen minutes, they managed to clear about four-fifths of the entire staff of the Governor’s Building, with the last few remaining on the floor where the Governor’s office was.

Elizabeth was in Ichabod’s office, sorting out paperwork and making sure that everything was in order before the Governor arrives. She always found it easy to come in early in the morning to get the majority of the paperwork out of the way. Plus, she had access to the records that came from ‘Ward C’ in the hospital, marking down who was making good progress with being ‘indoctrinated’ and those who were ‘beyond help’ and marked down for ‘removal’. In way, she felt like God in this type of work; able to dictate who should go and who should stay without having to suffer the consequences.
As she was writing, Elizabeth glanced up and listened. There was not a sound from outside, not even from the janitors with their cleaning machines. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, indicating that something was not right. Not accustomed to being uneasy, Elizabeth stood up, went to the door and opened it. She glanced down the corridor and her eyes widened with astonishment with what she saw. She saw two creatures that appeared to be half human half snake cornering three members of staff. Elizabeth stared in shocked disbelief at the scene. It took her nearly all her will power to realise that there was an alarm button at the end of the corridor on her left. But as she turned to run, Elizabeth nearly bumped into another one of the snake creatures and gasped with horror. Before she could scream, she found herself staring into what appeared to be slow rippling rings of red, yellow and orange. Elizabeth’s mouth hung open as she felt herself being unable to look away from the rings and her arms felt heavy. Her twin blue pools were soon replaced by the red, yellow and orange rings as they flooded over her eyes.

The male naga gently moved the spectacled woman to one side and saluted to King Ajan as he slithered down the corridor.

“The building is now secure, your Highness.” he reported.

King Ajan nodded and glanced at the sign at the door from where Elizabeth came from. It read ‘Governor’s Office’. Ajan slithered inside and his nose wrinkled in disgust. The air was rank with the heavy odour or cigarette smoke. The window blinds were caked in dust and there was an unhealthy plant standing forlornly in a pot in one corner of the room. The room practically reeked of oppression and corruption. Ajan glanced over to the members of his squad.

“Secure them downstairs and set the stage for when the Governor arrives.” he intoned.

The nagas nodded and escorted the entranced staff to the ground floor. King Ajan made his towards the window and peered through the window blinds. His green eyes scanned the view of Porton, noticing the activity from both the sajadas and the ‘Peace Keepers’ as both sides milled about in the streets.

“Your move Raikaa.” he murmured.


Raikaa was directing a group of sajadas with a wagon towards the direction they need to go in. It had been a somewhat fraught morning, trying to get everyone ready whilst trying to avoid the ‘Peace Keepers’ that seem to be stomping around the place and looking for trouble with his people. Raikaa heard footsteps to his left. He turned and saw Linna running up to him. She panted for breath for a moment.

“I just received the word; King Ajan’s in the Governor’s building and has secured it.” she panted.

“That’s brilliant!” exclaimed Raikaa, “Help me with the others! Let’s get the cargo to the plaza!”

Linna recovered herself and bounded over to the wagon, pushing it with all her strength. Raikaa did a quick scan of the area before he raced over to one wagon to help it along its destination. As he pushed, Raikaa felt the sense of excitement rush through him, knowing that ten years of planning is about to come to fruition.

After a short while of sightseeing, King Ajan turned away from the window and sat himself on the Governor’s swivel chair. It wasn’t the same as sitting on a more comfortable naga seat, but the King reasoned to himself that it’ll only be temporary. A male naga entered the office and saluted.

“Your Majesty, all of the staff are secure in the staff hall downstairs and everything is prepared.” he reported.  

“Excellent.” said Ajan, “Now all we can do is wait. And remember; act naturally and keep your tails out of sight at all times unless I say otherwise.”

The male naga nodded and exited the office. King Ajan turned the swivel chair so he would face the window. He closed his eyes as if he was mediating and waited for the arrival of a certain corrupt Governor.


The streams of sunlight that beamed through the window roused Seth from his deep slumber. He slowly blinked his eyes open and yawned. The young man sluggishly sat up and stretched his arms upwards. As his eyes became clearer, Seth made out that it was nearing mid morning and the birds were chirping their serenades and ditties in the light of a beautiful morning. He glanced down and suddenly remembered that he was clad only in his boxers. Seth eyes roved around the room and fixed his gaze on his dressing gown. He slowly got out of bed, walked over to his dressing gown and put it on.

“Hmmm...I think a nice hot shower might be in order.” he muttered to himself.

After a short while, Seth was back in his room, clean, fresh and fully dressed. As he hung the towel out the window to dry, he noticed Abel was curled up in a neat pile in the sunlight, content as a domestic pet near a fireplace. Seth allowed a small smile to form on his face. He made his way over to his bed and lay down.
As he stared at the ceiling, Seth reflected on the last few days he spent with Mara; seeing her in her human from, her dedication to treating him, her warmth and courage and her beauty. Seth’s cheeks started to warm up as the last thought crossed his mind. Then images of Mara belly dancing, flirting with him and her hypnotic colourful eyes flashed in his mind, making him feel all warm inside as if they sparked something deep inside him.
Seth felt that his meeting with Mara and discovering more about Nakaah had been a blessing for him and he was eternally grateful to her. He then wondered if Mara might’ve possessed some feelings for him. Could he really maintain some form of relationship with her whilst under the roof of militaristic father who practically rules with an iron fist? The more Seth thought about it, the more he suddenly felt troubled and conflicted. The young man planted both hands over his face as the apparent hopelessness of his predicament washed over him.
A sudden knock at the door brought Seth out of his reverie with a slight start.

“Oh! Umm...come in.” he announced.

The door opened and Mara walked in with a tray and a smile that was as warm as her eyes.

“Breakfast in bed sir?” she said.

She lowered the tray onto Seth lap. The young man saw a plate stacked with bacon, sausages and toast and a glass of orange juice.

“Mmmm...my favourites!” he said, licking his lips with delight.

Seth adjusted himself slightly, picked up the knife and fork and started eating his breakfast. Mara beamed and gently ruffled his hair.

“Freshly made this morning.” she chimed, “Oh? Have you had a shower?”

Seth glanced up at her nodded, not wishing to talk with his mouth full. Mara ran her fingers through his hair, causing the young man to purr softly.

“Well, it’s nice to see you up and about a bit more often.” she commented.

Seth gave her a wry smile as he demolished the last of his toast. He took a sip of his drink before moving on to his bacon.

“So, what’s the plan of action today Seth?” asked Mara.

“Well...umm...” began Seth, somewhat caught unawares by the question and from Mara’s sweet tone of voice, “I was wondering if...you’d come to the museum with me today..”

“Oh? You have a museum in Porton?” responded Mara, raising her eyebrows, “I didn’t know that. Yeah. I’ll be up for that.”

Seth looked at her with surprise. He swallowed his food before replying, “Really? Oh! I mean..umm..that’s great! I reckon you’ll get on well with Alec and the family.”

“Who’s Alec?” asked Mara.

“He’s the owner of the museum.” explained Seth, “He might be a bit absent minded at times, but he’s a good man.”

“I’ll look forward to it.” said Mara, “Maybe after that, we can hang around at the beach if the weather continues like this.”

“Yeah, I don’t see why not.” said Seth, before finishing his bacon and started on his sausages.

“Though it’s a bit of shame I didn’t bring it with me.” said Mara ruefully.

“Bring what?” asked Seth.

“My swimming outfit.” Mara replied, a mischievous smirk on her face, “You’ve already seen me dance before. I wonder how you’ll react to me swimming.”

Mara gave Seth a wink which caused the young man to blush at the thought and idea. Despite his cheeks looking red, Seth managed a smile at Mara’s suggestion. Soon he finished his breakfast and Mara picked up the tray and placed it on the bedside table. As Seth watched her, a question he had meaning to ask her suddenly emerged from within him.

“Mara? Can I ask you something? Why...do you distance yourself from your kind?”

Mara looked taken aback by the question, as if no one had ever asked her that before. She sat on the bed next to him and placed her hands on her lap.

“It’s rather personal...” she began, “I didn’t have a bad upbringing when I was young, very far from it. But, I never really ‘fitted in’ with the other sajadas..”

“What do you mean ‘never really fitted in’?” asked Seth.

“I mean that I was somewhat of a social outcast..” explained Mara, her voice somewhat subdued, “You see...because of our higher level of ‘magic’, we sajadas are very intelligent, which can lead to us having ulterior motives to satisfy our own desires. I...didn’t see that point of view nor didn’t I have that mindset like the others. All I wanted to do is to help those in need rather than just be like any other sajada. Because of my different perspective on things, I was....ridiculed and mocked at...”

Mara stopped to recompose herself, clearly affected by her past.

“After I learned everything they had to teach me,” she continued, “I found myself being a stranger in a strange land with no clear path to choose and no true purpose to fulfil... I honestly don’t know how long I’ve travelled from one place of the jungle to another, occasionally visiting the smaller human villages to get an insight of their society. Heck, I only visited Naithaar three times, four if you count your escapade with that faulty Pylon. Even there, I felt like a fish out of water. I practiced my art and craft on either wounded or sick animals, yet I longed to test my skills on a human.”

Mara glanced up at Seth, her eyes full of sincerity.

“That night when we first met...it was almost like a dream come true...then when you were...’imprisoned’ here...I honestly thought I was never going to see you again... After all, when we have something that really matters to us....we don’t want to lose it....”

Mara trailed off, her emotions getting the better. She hung her head and fell silent. Seth was made speechless by her heartfelt explanation and came to the conclusion that he and Mara actually had a bit more in common that they both thought and realised.
Acting on instinct and sympathy, Seth brought Mara close him and gave her a heartfelt hug. Mara’s eyes shot open with surprise and glanced up to see Seth’s eyes were now closed. Her heart fluttered and her cheeks warmed up slightly. Soon, she loosened up and nestled herself into Seth’s embrace. To the young man, Mara felt oddly fitting in his hug, almost if like she belonged there. Without consciously realising it, Seth brought Mara closer to him, causing her to purr and nuzzle him. A smile began to form on her face and her hands slowly slithered onto Seth as she hugged him back. Mara inched herself upwards so she was face to face with Seth. The young man’s eyes opened as he felt her nose lightly touch his. Seth let out a small gasp as he found himself looking directly at Mara’s beautiful face and turquoise eyes.

“Thank you Seth.” whispered Mara.

“Wha...what for?” asked Seth.

“For understanding me.” said Mara, “For under...standing...me...Seth..”

As if they were influenced by some unknown force, both Seth and Mara eyes slowly closed and leant closer towards each other, their hearts racing in their chests and butterflies fluttering their stomachs. For that moment, the world seemed to slow down as the pair were lost within each other. Then, the human and the sajada’s lips inched towards each other as if wanting to connect with each other.

“Seth! You have a visitor!” came Mary’s voice from downstairs.

The cry brought Mara and Seth from their moment. They opened their eyes, saw what they were doing and blushed furiously.

“Oh! Umm...I-I...umm...” Seth fumbled, clearly at a loss with what he was doing previously, “I...I’ll be downstairs..”

Seth got up from his bed, stopped briefly to stroke Abel on the head, went to the door and went downstairs. Mara watched him go, a look of surprise on her face. As she watched the young man go, it took Mara a short while to realise what had happened earlier before Mary called out to him. As the sajada reflected, she uttered just one word in light of her and Seth’s tender moment being interrupted.

“Blast...”


Ichabod strolled through the doors of his building with four of his cronies by his side. He glanced from side to side, a carnivorous smile on his features.

“Ahh...my home away from home.” he breathed, “Be to mine for another year and half.”

The bodyguards murmured in agreement. As the Governor and his retinue walked through the hall and up the stairs, Ichabod barked his inquires.

“Are the Voting Boxes rigged?”

“All rigged and ready for use sir.” answered one of his bodyguards, “And we come up with a new method sir.”

“Explain to me how it’ll work.” demanded the Governor.

“The Voting Box has three chambers inside with a slot to each chamber.” said the first henchmen, “One voting for you whilst the other two for your rivals. When the voting is over, we’ll empty the chamber with those voting for you to one side. For those who voted for your rivals, we have a nice hot furnace waiting for those votes.”

“Excellent.” crowed Ichabod, “What’s the word with the Peace Keepers?”

“They’re all moving into position sir.” said a second henchman, “So far they haven’t encountered any trouble or opposition, but we have broken out the firearms should the need arise.”

“And what of the gypsy filth that despoil my town?” Ichabod growled.

“They seem to be converging on the plaza near the harbour.” explained the third henchman, “Plus, they’re bringing their wagons with them.”

“Well, let’s see if those heathens and their wagons can float when we push them all into the sea.” sneered Ichabod, “If they can’t, at least the sharks and crabs will have the biggest feast they’ll ever have! How long until my so-called rivals arrive in Porton?”

The forth henchman looked at his watch and then he answered, “In about two hours time sir.”

“Right.” said Ichabod, “The sooner the gypsy filth leaves my town, the better.”

Ichabod and his retinue had reached the corridor where the Governor’s office was. Ichabod reached for the door and opened it. He inhaled a huge breath of satisfaction as he entered his office.

“Soon, Emerald Island will be ushered into the future!” he boasted.

“But not by your hand.” came a unfamiliar voice from within the room.

The Governor and his henchmen flinched and tensed with alertness.

“Who is that?!” barked Ichabod, “And who DARES to oppose me?!”

The chair swivelled round to reveal a well built young man with long platinum blonde hair and green eyes. He wore a black hooded robe with mid green and gold bandings and there was a gold coronet with a brilliant emerald adoring his head. It took a moment for Ichabod to register what he was seeing, and then his face contorted into a mask of indignant rage.

“You have the gall to sit in MY chair, in MY office and speak of opposition?!” he screeched, “Just who the hell do you think you are?!”

The young man stood up and a gasp emerged from the throats of the Governor and his henchmen. Where his legs should be, the young man had the long body and tail of a powerful serpent.

“I am King Ajan; ruler of the place you call ‘Emerald Island’.” the stranger announced calmly, “You have persecuted and alienated my people for far too long and have desecrated relics of our past for the last time. Your reign of decadence and self indulgence is at but an end. I will give you two choices: abdicate your position or watch everything collapse around you.”

Ichabod goggled in thunderstruck silence at King Ajan whilst his cronies were murmuring to themselves like, “So the rumours were true after all.” and “Are there more of them out there?”
Eventually, Ichabod silenced them with a single glare. The Governor turned to face Ajan, his eyes dark with arrogant defiance.

“Surrender to the whims of some freak of nature like you?!” he snarled, “Never! You will take your mutated hide and the degenerative licentious crowd that you call ‘your people’ out of my town and go to rot away somewhere more fitting to your kind!”

King Ajan met the human’s gaze calmly, his green eyes betraying nothing but utter contempt for the mousy haired dictator.

“Very well.” Ajan said eventually, pulling on the string for the blinds and causing sunlight to fill the office, “Then look outside and onto the streets. Whatever happens out there is your responsibility and the result of your arrogance.”

Ichabod narrowed his eyes and made his way towards the window. He gazed out on the streets of Porton, seeing a large troop of Peace Keepers marching towards the gypsies which were all gathered at the plaza near the harbour. A confident smirk formed on his face, knowing that his ‘private army’ will soon deal with the ‘insurgents’.


At in the plaza, the sajadas had banded together to form a human barricade facing the oncoming Peace Keepers. Behind them and at one on each side were the wagons. Raikaa was striding from one end to the other, barking out commands.

“Just keep it all together now!” he shouted, “Show no fear or worry for they’ll see it as a chance to attack!”

Linna rushed up beside him and grasped one of his strong arms.

“Is everyone in position?” asked Raikaa.

“We’re just waiting for the word to go.” replied Linna.

Raikaa nodded and yelled, “Okay, get the Pylons out!”

There was a brief hubbub as two small parties of sajadas went to the wagons on each side and unveiled their contents. They contained two Pylons that they received from Naithaar yesterday. It nearly took all of their efforts to bring the Pylons off the wagons and erect them on the ground. The sajadas began spacing the Pylons until they were three metres away from each other. Linna watched the proceedings and the turned to face Raikaa with evident worry in her eyes. The male sajada met her gaze and placed a hand on her cheek.

“Just keep it together my love.” he whispered, “It’ll soon be over.”

“I know it will.” replied Linna, “But, can you promise me one thing?”

“And what’s that?” asked Raikaa.

“That when all of this is done,” said Linna, “will you...be my soul mate forever?”

Raikaa eyes briefly widened with surprise and then rested his forehead against hers.
“That, I can promise Linna..” he murmured.

Linna smiled with delight and then kissed Raikaa deeply. The male sajada followed suit, holding Linna close to him. They kissed for about ten seconds before finally breaking it up and smiling warmly at each other. Raikaa and Linna held eah other’s hands and turned to face the oncoming Peace Keepers. Raikaa glanced from side to side, shouted a command in Naganesse and every sajada started to chant in their own language. Slowly and surely, the Pylons started to glow with a rising power...


Seth made his way downstairs and into the living room. Mary was sitting at the dining room table reading a newspaper. She noticed Seth and her eyes darted towards the sofa. Sitting on it with a welcoming expression on her face was Sasha.

“Sasha!” exclaimed Seth with surprise, “What brings you here?”

“To see if you’re doing well.” replied the twelve year old, “I heard that you had an accident of some kind.”

“Yeah...something like that..” said Seth, lightly rubbing the back of his head.

“Feeling better?” asked Sasha.

“He’s definitely on the mend.” answered Mary, “But, he’s not quite a hundred percent yet.”

“Oh, I see.” said Sasha, sounding a bit disappointed.

The sound of footsteps indicated that Mara was coming down the stairs. She turned around the corner with the tray in both hands. Sasha caught sight of her and raised an eyebrow, perplexed by this stranger in her friend’s house.

“Who’s she?” she asked.

Mara stopped and turned to face Sasha, her now-green eyes warm and welcoming.

“My name’s Mara.” she replied, “I’ve been helping Seth get better for a few days now. What’s your name?”

“Name’s Sasha.” the auburn haired girl answered.

“Nice to meet you Sasha.” said Mara. She walked into the kitchen to deposit the dishes.
Sasha looked at Seth, wondering what sort of reaction he’ll get from her question.

“Is Mara your friend?”

Seth felt his cheeks warm up slightly from the girl’s question. All he could muster was a nod.

“You like her then?” asked Sasha, her mischievous side coming into the fore.
Seth’s cheeks flashed red briefly and he looked away sheepishly. Sasha giggled, knowing that she struck a chord somewhere.

“Aha! You do like her!” she chimed, “What’s she like?”

At that point, Mary got up and went into the kitchen to do the dishes. As she went in, Mara came out and saw Seth with slightly red cheeks and looking rather timid. The sajada then noticed Sasha smirking like a cat and guessed that the young girl was teasing him. Mara strolled over and sat down on the sofa. Sasha turned to face the young woman curiously.

“How long have you and Seth been friends?” asked Sasha.

“Fairly recently to be honest.” explained Mara, “I was just visiting Porton and I happen to stumble upon Seth’s mother in the market way. We had a talk and she told me that he was unwell and I offered my services.”

“So, are you like Seth’s doctor or something?” inquired Sasha.

“Not essentially.” said Mara, “You see, I’m somewhat of a travelling healer. I don’t exactly live in Porton because I’m part of the gypsies. But I’m willing to stay here until Seth gets better.”

“Aww! That’s so sweet!” cooed Sasha, causing Seth to blush again.

Mara smiled approvingly and beckoned Seth to sit down as well. The young man caught on and sat down beside Mara.

“So, do you have any plans for today Seth?” asked Sasha.

“Well, me and Mara are thinking of going to the museum for a visit.” the young man replied.

“Sounds like a date to me.” commented Sasha.

“What? No! Nothing like that!” said Seth quickly, which made Mara giggle in response, “It’s just a day out, that’s all!”

“Would it be alright if I tag along?” the girl asked.

Seth looked thoughtful for a moment. He glanced at Mara who smiled at him. Won over by her, Seth faced Sasha and said, “Yeah, I don’t see why not.”

“Out of the question!” barked a gruff unfriendly voice.

Seth’s blood ran cold, knowing that his father was now in the living room with them.


Out in the plaza, the Pylons glowed brightly and the portals started to materialise. The sajadas still kept up with their chants in their native tongue. The Peace Keepers had formed a semi circle, blocking the sajadas chances of escape. From various points in the streets and from under windows, people watched the scene with unease and anxiety, wondering if blood is going to be spilt on Election Day. The atmosphere was tense as the sajadas stood their ground and the Peace Keeper inched ever closer, fingers itching in the triggers of their guns. Then suddenly, the portals rippled and something emerged from them.
It was a creature with the upper torso of a human but with the mighty body and tail of a snake from the waist down. A gasp of shock came from the witnesses as well from a few Peace Keepers. Then, another one of the creatures emerged from the portal, and another and another, all slithering out from where they came from with a purpose.


From his view of the scene in his office window, Ichabod watched in somewhat stunned silence to see the snake creatures like the one in his office emerge from strange portals. He could see the Peace Keepers starting to get edgy, almost to the point of being trigger happy. As he watched the scene unfurl, Ichabod suddenly recognised the Pylons from which the snake creatures were emerging from.

‘It seems they do have a purpose after all!’ he thought, ‘Maybe if I can get a hold on one of these freaks, he or she can tell me how it works.’


Abraham stood in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen with his arms folded and a scornful expression on his face. Sasha glared daggers at him whilst Mara’s normally friendly face had vanished.

“You’ve been shirking on your studies for too long now.” said Abraham, “You’re gonna have to make up for lost time, to which I’ll be reviewing on your progress by the end of it.”

“But he hasn’t been out and about for a few days!” protested Mary from the kitchen, “Surely he’s allowed to have some fresh air?”

“He can study with the window open!” barked Abraham.

“Hang on! That’s not fair!” exclaimed Mary, striding up to her husband, “Our son must have some freedom one way or another!”

“This is my house woman!” snapped Abraham, “I make the rules and I dictate how much leeway that our scrounger of a son has!”

Mary glared at Abraham, her teeth clenched with rising rage at her husband. Before she could voice her outrage, Abraham strolled to the dining room and stood in front of the table, glowering at Seth, Mara and Sasha.
He pointed at Mara and snarled, “You have outstayed your welcome, gypsy! By now, the mongrels that you call your people are being evicted from Porton. I suggest that you join them and never come back!”

Mara’s eyes darkened with instant hatred for this self proclaimed authoritarian. Seth too felt the hot fingers of anger sink deep within him. Abraham then pointed at Sasha, who jumped slightly from the accusing finger.

“As for you, don’t think I have forgotten about your little act towards me last Friday?” he growled, “As of now, you have no place in this house or in Seth’s life! Now run back home and find new friends!”

Sasha gasped with horror at the audacity of Abraham’s words. But Sasha wasn’t the type to run away and cry, for she inherited some of her mother’s personality. Before anyone can say anything, Sasha stood up from the sofa, went to the centre of the living room, planted both feet firmly and glared at Abraham defiantly.

“No.” she said flatly.

Abraham’s eyebrows rose from her action.

“What did you say?!” he shouted.

“I said NO!” Sasha replied, “Seth’s my friend and I will not be driven away from him by someone like you!”

Abraham’s eyes and veins bulged with anger. He strolled over to Sasha, raising a hand to strike at her.

“You dare defy me?!” he snarled.

What happened next stunned everyone that saw it. Just as Abraham was about to bring his hand around in an arc to hit Sasha, Seth got up and dived in front of the girl. The militaristic man’s hand caught Seth on the back of the head, sending him sprawling on the floor. Seth groaned with pain as he clutched his head. Sasha and Mara gasped with shock with what happened. Even Abraham looked taken aback, his anger at Sasha apparently forgotten. Instinctively, Mara rushed over to Seth and cradled his head from where Abraham struck him. Mary was the first to recover. She stood in the doorway, her eyes darkened with outrage.

“You...struck our son!” she said.

Abraham glanced from Seth to his wife and then back at Seth again.

“The stupid boy shouldn’t have gotten in the way!” he quickly countered, trying to justify his action, “It’s his own fault!”

It was that point that Mary finally saw it all now.

“You...it was YOU that have been hurting our son all along!” she screamed, “What other things have you been doing to him to justify your own big headed rule of this house?!”

Abraham turned to face Mary, his face full of thunder.

“I’ve been setting him on the right path to his place in society woman!” he bellowed, “Besides, he’s got no one to blame but himself! He interfered with Governor’s business and got himself expelled from the H.L.C! He brought it upon himself and I gonna succeed in doing where the H.L.C had failed!”

Mary’s blood boiled at the news.

“I do not believe you.” she hissed, “I honestly do not believe that you could be so hard hearted and cruel to your own son!”

“He’s my property and I’m in charge of he can and cannot do!” he roared.

Mara was trying to help soothe the pain that rang through Seth’s head. Thankfully, he was conscious and was able to speak to Mara. After muttering that he was alright, Mara stood up and glared at Abraham, her very being full of righteous fury.

“I have wondered for while on what was the cause of Seth’s condition.” she announced, her tone of voice grim, “After what I’ve seen with him in such a state and with what just happened, I finally know why.”

Abraham turned away from Mary and glowered at Mara.

“It’s because he’s a wide eyed idiot that needs to be disciplined!” said Abraham, “Anyway, no one is asking for your theories and opinions!”

“No.” said Mara calmly, “It’s because he’s the victim of domestic abuse! So if there’s someone or something to blame for his condition, it’s YOU!!”

Everyone flinched slightly from Mara’s outburst. Sasha rushed over to Seth’s side as he managed to sit up. Abraham looked furious. He clenched his hands into fists and took a few steps forward towards Mara, who coolly stood her ground.

“How dare you!” he roared, “You have no right to tell me what to do or to judge on how we should live our lives in this house!”

“Well, if you believe in what you’ve just said, I’d practice what you preach rather than use for some hypocritical excuse!” countered Mara.

“Don’t you dare accuse me of hypocrisy, you backwater dwelling snake!” snapped Abraham.

“A snake am I?!” said Mara, looking greatly offended. Then, her face broke into the most malicious grin that Abraham had ever seen.

“Then, let me show how closer to the truth you really are!” Mara finished.

She blinked and her green eyes became turquoise with vertical slit pupils. Then her whole body began to glow in a bright green light, causing everyone to shield their eyes from the glare. It was Seth who realised what was happening and began to fear what will happen next. Mara’s arms and legs began to fuse together and her body started to stretch to a long and familiar shape. She stretched outwards and then curled in amongst herself, as if her glowing body was forming a pile. Then the glow abruptly vanished, revealing Mara in her true form; a long powerfully bodied serpent with jet black scales, bright green thin bands and a whitish-green underbelly. Her human head remained the same with the exception of her eyes being their natural turquoise. Everyone except Seth stared with utter disbelief with what they were seeing. Mary placed a hand over her mouth with shock. Abraham’s eyes widened with what he just saw. Sasha stared in shocked awe of such a creature existing.

“Now, what was that previous remark of me being a backwater dwelling snake?” remarked Mara, rearing herself up like a cobra ready to strike.

It took Abraham a moment to recover himself. He planted his feet firmly and pointed at the sajada.

“Y-you’re worse than that!” he yelled, “You’ll pay for trespassing in my home and corrupting my soon-to-be successor!”

Abraham swung his fist around in a mighty arc. Mara neatly darted to one side as the fist met nothing but thin air. Abraham tried again with his other fist, again failing to connect the blow as Mara ducked out of the way. Seth inched backwards from the brawl, bringing Sasha with him. Abraham snarled and lunged at Mara with both hands in an attempt to strangle her. As quick as a flash, Mara’s tail wrapped itself around the man’s neck and gave a sharp squeeze. Abraham gasped for breath and clutched at the coil around his neck. Mara then threw Abraham across the room, sending him crashing into the wall. Mary yelped with fright as her husband impacted against the wall. Abraham groaned and slowly got to his feet.

“What...are you...you monster?!” he growled.

“I am Mara.” the sajada replied firmly, “I am the one who’s being treating your son of his ailments, caused by your abuse and your constant arguments with your wife! I don’t do this out of self indulgence, but out pity, compassion and generosity; something that people like you will never understand!”

Mary gasped as the news hit her like a sledge hammer striking at a large pot.

“YOU LIE!” bellowed Abraham, picking up the closest item to hand; a metal poker.

“Abraham! Just stop it!” shouted Mary, trying to restore order to the house.

“Shut up woman!” snapped Abraham before he turned to face the sajada with the poker raised, “Monster! Demon! You and your kind shall rot in hell for this affront!”

With a cry, Abraham lunged forward with the poker in hand. Seth, Sasha and Mary gasped in horror and turned their gazes away from what might happen. But to everyone’s surprise, the sound on metal piercing scales didn’t happen. They glanced to see Mara’s tail wrapped around Abraham’s wrist. The man tried to strike the poker at her, but the sajada’s tail constricted around his wrist. Abraham grunted and then gasped with pain, the metal poker clattered on the floor as he was forced to drop it from having his wrist squeezed.

“The only monster in this house I see is the one in front of me.” hissed Mara.

She jerked her tail to one side, sending Abraham sprawling over the sofa and onto the floor. The man staggered to his feet and ran out the front door, yelling to any Peace Keeper nearby for assistance. Mara instinctively went to Seth’s side and placed her tail on the back of his head.

“Seth! Are you alright?” she fretted.

“I’m fine...” said Seth, “Head’s ringing slightly, but I’ll make it.”

Mary inched forwards where Mara was, nervous of provoking the sajada even further after what she had seen.

“Tell me...is it true about my son..?” she asked in a small voice.

Mara glanced up and nodded slowly. Mary’s eyes widened with dreadful realisation, as if she had the biggest shock of her life. The door clattered open and Abraham re-entered the house with a young man in a Peace Keeper uniform and carrying a rifle in his hands. Mary snapped back to reality and stared at Abraham with pure disbelief.

“What the hell are you doing?!” she demanded.

“Stay out of this woman!” barked Abraham before he pointed at Mara, “There! Kill that thing!”

“NO!” yelled Seth, struggling to his feet to defend Mara, “I won’t let you!”

“Get out of the way you insubordinate piece of crap!” shouted Abraham, “You’ve tested me for far too long!”

Mara straightened herself and faced the two men fearlessly.

“And to think that you were once a good man Abraham.” she said gravely, “What could have changed you into the person that you are now?”

“SHUT UP!!” roared Abraham, the veins on his neck bulging with anger, “Soldier, take aim and fire at will!”

The young Peace Keeper raised his rifle and aimed it at Mara’s head.


Out in the plaza, the Peace Keepers were closing in on the sajadas and nagas, trying to corral them into one spot so they wouldn’t have a chance to escape. The flow of nagas emerging from the two portals had abated, as if the approach of the Peace Keeper’s had halted their progress. Linna opened her eyes and glanced at Raikaa. The sajada’s green eyes darted towards her and he nodded, as if conforming something. Linna responded with a nod of her own. Then all of the sajadas uttered a sentence in Naganesse as if they were all speaking in one voice and then something extraordinary happened.
Roughly two thirds of the Peace Keepers suddenly stiffened and lowered their weapons. Those who were unaffected turned to face their comrades with disbelief. They were shocked to find them with their eyes full of rippling rings of colour. Then, the entranced Peace Keepers fell upon the unaffected, snatching away their weapons and restraining them. In the chaos and confusion, the nagas set upon the Peace Keepers, coiling those that tried to get away or hypnotising those who were already restrained. The mass of the Peace Keepers became smaller as the entranced strolled away towards one of the larger warehouses at the docks with their weapons in tow. Soon, the startled cries and frightened screams of civilians filled the air, turning Porton from a quiet serene town into a place of chaos and confusion.


Ichabod’s eyes widened with horrified disbelief with what he was seeing. He took a few steps away from the window, nearly tripping over King Ajan’s tail. He glanced at the King and back at the window.

“Wha...how..What have you done?!” he shrieked.

“Something that could’ve been prevented if you have abdicated your position as Governor.” explained Ajan calmly; his eyes level with the Governor, “Now, because of your ignorance and lust for power and control, your regime is now in shambles. You have lost.”

As Ichabod digested the news, he suddenly remembered the ‘incidents’ that various people had with the gypsies in the last ten years. Then, with horrible realisation, Ichabod figured that they have been planning this for a very long time, intricately influencing the people for this moment, strengthening their conditioning on those already being subjected whilst ‘recruiting’ new ones with each yearly visit.

‘They’re really are intelligent after all...’ thought Ichabod resignedly.

The previously-then Governor then made a sudden dash through the door with his four bodyguards following behind him. King Ajan watched them run, sure that his retinue would catch them in due time. He slithered towards the window, surveying the scenes on the streets with grim satisfaction.

“Finally after so long, we have risen.” he muttered to himself.


The atmosphere in Seth’s home was tense and electric. Seth tried to block the Peace Keeper’s line of fire with his own body, much to the horror of Sasha, his mother and Mara. Suddenly, Mara gasped and scrunched her eyes shut as if in pain. Seth turned and rushed to her side.

“Mara! What’s wrong?!” he cried.

“I feel...something..” grunted Mara, “Something’s happening; something big and powerful!”

Seth turned to face the Peace Keeper and went wide eyed with disbelief. The young man had stiffened and lowered his rife. His eyes were full of rippling rings of three different shades of green. Seth glanced back at Mara, who too had noticed it and was astonished. The sajada shook her head as if anticipating Seth’s question.

“What’s wrong with him?” asked Sasha, “His eyes look weird!”

Abraham spun the young man round, seeing the vacant expression on his face and the rippling rings in his eyes. The order for him to fire died in Abraham’s throat as he stared in stunned silence. The young Peace Keeper then started to stride towards the door, as if ordered to go somewhere by some invisible command. Abraham went up to the young man and spun him around.

“Soldier! What the hell are you doing?!” he demanded, “Carry out my order and kill that thing!”

The Peace Keeper ignored him, merely turning around and continuing to walk towards the door. Abraham grabbed the rifle and yanked it; bring the young man with him.

“What’s wrong with you goddamn it?!” he barked.

With startling skill, the Peace Keeper brought his rifle up and struck Abraham in the ribs with the butt of his weapon. The man gasped and winched in pain, clutching his side. The Peace Keeper strolled out of the door, as silent and stoic as a ghost. Abraham watched him go with growing disbelief and despair. He turned to face his family and Mara and realised that this was a fight he cannot win. With panic fuelling inside him, Abraham half staggered and half ran out of the house and onto the streets. He looked up at the scene in the town, uttered a sentence involving explicit language and scuttled off towards the Governor’s building.

Very shortly after he left, Seth emerged from his home with Mara and Sasha in tow. The young man turned to face down the street and his jaw hung open with what he was seeing. There, slithering from one side of the streets to another were nagas and lamias of almost every colour, sometimes with grey uniformed men and women following them. The shocked cries of the townsfolk rang the air as pandemonium filled the very streets of Porton.

“Oh....my God....” he breathed, his blood chilling in his veins.

Mara and Sasha were by his side, watching the chaos unfurl in stunned silence.


So it came to pass, that after two hundred years of living in the shadows and ten years of preparation, the nagas have finally returned and reclaimed their home Nakaah. The rise of the nagas was now complete!