"They chose you? What in the hell are those old fools thinking sending you headlong into danger like that? I'd kill them myself if time wouldn't beat me to it," The older Naga ranted. He was a regal fellow, thick and strong with aged wisdom in his salt and pepper beard. His eyes were wild golden saucers, still retaining the same determined gleam as they had in his youth. Shoulder length brown hair fell across the sides of his face, held at bay by a network of gold cords. He wore the finest blue silks, edged with golden embroidory to mark his status as a Lord of their town. The scales covering his tail sheened and matched his silks, a dark blue, deeper than even the most starless of nights. The young woman in front of him seemingly taking his rant in stride was smaller, the top of her head barely reaching the top of his collarbone.
Her auburn hair was much messier than his, and where he word blue silks, she wore an open fronted green, under which a pure white silk shirt lay. Her scales were not as brilliant as his, but were rather a myraid of browns, greens, and tans patterned in a haphazard array of asymmetrical spots. Despite these differences, they were no doubt family. It was in the features. A round jawline with which rarely juts out in hostility, the smallish nose, soft lips. She was this man's daughter, there was no denying that. It was made that much more apparent when she opened her eyes, the same hue of gold as her father's, tinted with the hope of her youth. Her eyebrow ascended her head as if asking if he was through.
"You aren't killing anyone, Father, and you know it," she said. This wasn't the first time she heard his spiel. In fact, she had lost count. It's all she had heard since she had arrived home from the meeting. She had been chosen for a mission by the elders, along with a number of others near her age. She was to find something to release the stranglehold this bloody stupid war had on them. It had been pure luck that her father was home when she was called, and she was glad. Even if he threatened to kill everyone on her behalf. Her father's lip twitched, and then a forked tongue left and retreated into his mouth. She couldn't help by try and attempt to hide her smile. He always did that when he was irritated. She thought it was cute.
"Perhaps not, but it doesn't mean I'm not thinking about it. Really? You? Why had it have to be you, of all people? Why not me? Why not anyone else?" This too, wasn't anything new. He'd give anything to trade places with her, she could see it in his face and hear it in his words. He'd give anything for it to be him instead of her. "Because Father. You are needed elsewhere. The field commander of the Naga forces can't just go gallavanting about looking for a long lost relic. You have a responsibility to your men," She had never been the one to lecture her father before, and the words felt weird coming out of her mouth. Out of place, even.
She was terrified, no doubt about it. She'd rarely even left their town, much less take a round trip. With strangers at that. Whatever bravery she was putting on for her parents, it was not present during the gathering. She had been silent, barely uttered a word the entire trip, and nearly broke into tears when she was chosen. She was terrified. But she'd put on a strong face for her parents and act like nothing was wrong. She'd act like it was a mere chore than anything. A tired laugh came from behind them, causing the pair to turn their heads.
It was her mother, she had been sitting in the doorway to the parlor, listening to their every word. Now that her presence was anounced, she slithered into the room and sat beside them, a warm smile on her face. Her hair was stark raven, in contrast the the browns of both father and daughter. She wore her hair high, tightly bound in a bun with two golden sticks to keep it's shape. Her scale pattern were the more intricate of the three, black, speckled with green and gold flakes. "Shokunn, dear, she's taking it better than you are," She said. Though she wasn't fooling anyone. She was taking the news about as good as Shokunn was, if not worse. Her warm smile was strained, a farce, hiding what she really felt. "Irianas! Tell your daughter it's crazy what they want her to do," he asked. "Oh, it's crazy. I couldn't agree with you more, but I think Bailey knows that dear." Bailey knew it better than anyone.
Bailey nodded her agreement. Why couldn't it have been anyone else? Why had it been her. She wouldn't fight it, but why was it her? "I have to do this, father." She said. "No you--" Shokunn wasn't able to finish his thought before Bailey cut him off gently. "Father. How long have you been fighting in this war?" She asked. "Since... Since I was able," He answered. As she spoke, Bailey began to rear up on her tail, steadily beginning to reach her father's height. "And I have a chance to end it. I'm... I'm tired of it. I'm tired of you leaving. I'm tired of wondering if you'll return home this time. I'm tired of missing you. Our people are dying for no reason-- and I can stop it. I can bring our people home. I can bring you home-- for good. Daddy, I want to do this... I need to do this." He had his duty and she had hers. But she didn't want to do this. She didn't know if she could do anything. What help could she possibly offer? But still, she was chosen.
Irianas couldn't help but smile proudly. She turned to Shoken and glared playfully. "This is your fault you know? She takes after you. She has the same heart." Her glare then relaxed. Saddness graced her face, but so did pride. Shokunn hid his face with his hands, he too was tired. Too tired. "I know. It's all my fault," he said with the flicking of his tongue. Again, Bailey couldn't help but smile. She slid closer to him and wrapped him in an embrace, her tail wrapping around him. "It is your fault, daddy. But it'll be alright. I'm strong. That's your fault too. I'll end this war, and we won't have anything to do with it ever again." she said as he returned the embrace. "You better," he said.
Irianas smiled as she watched the two and as they broke apart she reminded them, "Well. She isn't leaving for another two weeks. We have plenty of time until then," Not near enough. It would never be enough. But it would have to do. "She's right. And when you do leave, you won't be unprepared. I'll make sure of that. Go get your spear and meet me in the courtyard." Bailey's eyes widened in surprise as they darted between her father and her mother. "N-now? Why now? I j-just got home." she said. "Yes now, go on before I have to drag you by the tail," he answered, leaving and making his way for the courtyard. That left her and her mother. "You heard your father. Now scoot," ... That left her, with her mother following closely behind Shokunn. "And... This is my fault," she muttered to herself, slithering to her room to fetch her spear.
The two weeks passed faster than Bailey would have liked. Too fast, it felt like she didn't have time to say anything, to really do anything. Her father had pushed her in training with her spear, living off the land, anything and everything he believed she needed to know how to survive the quest. She was sore, but she was grateful. He cared, and she had spent more time with him in these couple of weeks than she had all of last year. It was... Nice, when he wasn't popping her with his own training spear. He cared, yes, but he wasn't gentle. Her mother only watched from the courtyard door as they practiced, silently rooting for her child. She had almost died laughing when a swift move from Bailey resulted in a slap to Shokunn's face. Bailey had dropped her weapon instantly and fretted, repeatedly asking if he was okay. Shokunn had laughed and nodded. He had been better than okay, he was great. She would be okay. Everything would be okay.
It was these thoughts that occupied Bailey's mind as she traveled. She was alone now. Well and truly alone, with nothing but the road to keep her company. The first hour she was terrified, jumping and fidgetting at every sounds along the way, though she grew used to them, and soon enough she traveled without peeling out of her skin every so often. She instead basked in the sun above her, taking in the rays on her scales as she slithered. On her back, sat a backpack weighed down with everything her parents believed she'd need on her journey. Clasped to that the spear she trained so hard with in the past week or so. It was an older thing, but weapons need not be fanciful to get the job done.
The shaft was a midnight black, made from ashen wood. The pommel at the end was a tarnished silver, far too old for it to be worth much more than a couple of coins. The other end, the dangerous end, was iron. One edge of the blade was sloped, bladed for cutting, while the back was blunt. The blade came to a point at the tip, allowing it to be used for both slashing and stabbing. The blade was covered in leather so that she wouldn't cut herself while she traveled. She didn't like the instrument. It was dangerous, bloody, brutal. But it was necessary. She would not be left defenseless, her father made sure of that.
The traveling was slow going, but she wasn't in a hurry. She had 'til midnight on the fourteenth day. She'd make it. She didn't have the wings of the Fae to aid her in the traveling, only her tail, so she had to leave earlier than she would have liked. Perhaps too early. To the center of the land under an oak tree or something mystic like that. Kind of like the stories her father used to tell her when she was just a hatchling. Funny, she used to think those stories were just that. Stories. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe this was a story. Hopefully she had a happy ending in it.
It was night when she finally reached the destined spot. What time of night, though, she had no idea. Late at night was the only thing she knew. Still too early by the looks of it though, as there was no one else. Just her and the tree. In the darkness. Where anything could attack her... That wasn't a comforting though. She tossed a wary look around her, searching for the nonexistant dangers. She was really regretting those lectures her father had given her, they seemed to have made her paranoid. "Find a defensible position, and hold," the echoes rang in her ear. Sadly, there was no defensible positions, only the tree... Better than nothing she suppose.
Bailey approached the tree and wrapped her tail around it. Perfect, she was just long enough to make one loop around it, it'd make the climb easy. She positioned herself just right and began to ascend. The muscles in her abdomen and tail clutched to the tree, and she slithered up in corkscrew motion, using her arms to guide herself around the branches. She was better at climbing a tree than anyone with legs, thanks to her tail. Once she was high enough up in the tree, she stopped ascending and let her tail spread across the branches to keep her balance, and to catch herself in case she fell. After that, she simply ceased to be noticed. A bit of her Naga ability. She wouldn't be found, unless someone was specifically searching for her, or looked directly at her. But who looked up?
The first to appear was a Fae, though she said nothing. She only watched him from her perch above. She'd... Show herself when more people appeared. Or she was noticed. Bailey certainly didn't want to be alone with only one other stranger, chosen or no.