Akira looked stunned. There were three Nagas in front of her, half human and half snake, guarding the entrance to a huge city.
The Naga guards themselves looked very young.
They had green eyes and hair, with shiny black tails, that they seemed proud off.
They each held a Summon that resembled a trident.
The one who asked them to remove the spell seemed to be their boss. He too had emerald green eyes which twinkled with humour. His long green hair covered his nape. He wore fine gold rings around his ears and arms. His lips curved into a smile that was warm.
"How do I address this beautiful lady in front of me?"
"Grandma Akira," Akira said wryly.
The young man in front of her looked shocked.
"Grandma?"
"Dude, I am 600 years old. Had I been a human, I would already be in my seventh birth. If I'm not Grandma, then what am I?"
Tara intervened, "Tongue of the Ancients, Sāmā, is no longer a Gayan's spoken language. I beg his Lordship to forgive her, erm, strange use of words. She means no disrespect."
The man in front of her shook his head and laughed. "I love the way she speaks. Grandma Akira, nice to meet you. I am Karki, the army chief and the grandson of the King."
A prince? Akira bowed again, showing her respect. She turned to the guards. "Learn a bit about respect from your prince. Kids these days!"
She clucked and turned her attention back to the prince. "I may be a bit at sea about the procedure for greeting non humans, I will have to apologise in advance for any thing weird I do."
Karki laughed. "You may call me Karki, grandma Akira. I like you. Princess Tara seems to like you as well. That's saying something, she used to be a renowned warrior princess herself before she disappeared."
Lady Tara shook her head. "I died. But Lord Napat let me serve him instead of reincarnating and gave me this Mana body. I now have been assigned to protect Lady Akira."
Akira looked like she had been socked hard. "Princess? Lady Tara, I am so sorry. I treated you like.."
Lady Tara shook her head, "You treated me like a friend, a companion, a sister. I felt happy. I hope you continue to treat me that way."
They walked through the streets of the Vasulok, the underwater city of the Nagas.The city itself was build on volcanic rocks, concrete and shell. Well protected by magic, the city appeared to be untouched by the water or underwater pressure.
The Nagas children were all over the place, playing, running, screaming. They lady Nagas stood in groups, gossiping about their husbands. The unmarried ladies were busy checking out the Naga men. Naga men showed off their skills, talking in loud voices when their love interests walked past them.
It was so like Gaya. Akira smiled as she saw all the happy faces. Nagas, unlike the legends, were not scary. Infact, she felt, they would make amazing friends.
Tara smiled to herself when she noticed Akira's joy. She then turned to the prince and spoke to him in a low voice. "Prince Karkotaka, I humbly apologise on the behalf of Lady Akira and myself, for inconveniencing you and his Highness by coming unannounced. We do have a situation where we look to you for support and guidance."
Prince Karki replied, "Princess Tarahikara, the young ones may not know of your greatness, but we are one family. I ask for your forgiveness on behalf of our young ones, and pray let it not etch in your memory, any bad impression. My grandfather has been dreaming of this day for the past century. He will meet us immediately upon our arrival into the Palace."