“Before answering your excerpt, Lord Ameniah. I have a special task for you. Information ain’t so cheap nowadays.” the captain counters.
“Sure, Captain Leonis. Whatever it is you are going to throw at me - I will complete it.” I confide to my abilities in securing this lead about the enigmatic arms.
“Have you ever heard a naga before?” he then asks me an absurd question.
“Absolutely. From literature to plays. From magical conjuration to songs of minstrels. Yes, indeed.”
“Have you seen one?”
“Does the illusory imagery count?” I reply, where he sighs and slaps his forehead in a gentle manner, gesturing frustration upon his non-verbal message.
“Alright, my bad. I have seen not one in my whole life.” admitting, as I come out clean instead of lying about what it looks like.
“Very well.” as he claps his hands, where a figure spawns behind the curtain.
“This scaly humanoid is half-human, half-serpent. They could talk, though, some of them could speak unintelligibly. They can creep on land and swim on waters using their tails. In short, this species right here is an amphibian. This is the objective of your mission, Lord Ameniah.” he presents a model of what a naga would look like, elaborating the information.
“Alright, what do I have with them?” getting direct towards the information, I make a definite askance.
“Every single one of them. Not even, just an egg… Lord Ameniah, I need you to those who defy against my will. On Fort Quogsagihaxee’e’s behalf, she will chase them off of our land!” whereas he points his finger towards the direction of the beach where the horde is supposedly appearing, from the window.
I have my orders now as I hurl the dagger on my scabbard towards the naga who is beside the captain. The vile beast manages to elude my assault and the projectile digs deeper into the walls. The anthropomorph hides behind Captain Leonis. And in protest, the naga snarls at me.
“Hey! Cease that, will ‘ya!?!” Captain Leonis poses his hand forward, shouting.
“What are you attempting to do, captain? You’re blocking me off! Get out of my sight. I am trying to kill that thing - what you asked me to.” I retort with a revolting tone.
"You hold it right there, Lord Ameniah!," he protests, while he is trying to halt the anthropomorph's retaliation using his left hand, "are you being serious right now, eh?" mockingly if this is how I usually do.
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I then ready myself by unsheathing one of my sidearms hidden on my left bracer. This time, I won't miss my target, even though that thing is using the captain as a shield. I brandish the blade on my hand against the creature as I denote that pinpointing the target won't fail - I promise. With no further notice, I throw my blade on my hand projecting towards the naga. The scaly species flinches where it cringes back on the same head level with the captain. Midway to the traveling of the projectile, Captain Leonis removes his right hand out of his pocket. The captain pinches the dagger mid-air. Catching it with two fingers - ring finger and index finger, by protecting the naga behind him. He then flings it back to me, flicking towards me in just a matter of a second. I barely manage to get a grip onto the dagger deflected upon me. The blade is near my forehead, ensuing with a small wound.
"Impressive." I praise the captain in a sarcastic manner.
He answers it with a: "Thanks." and he follows it up with a side note, continuing: "... this creature behind me is not one of your targets, unfortunately. She is an ally. I gave you a beforehand, though, it is not that vivid. I'm sorry." as the heat of the surroundings has been pacified.
"No, captain! I'm at fault." I apologize to the captain, though the naga finds itself in a defensive stance when all things matter to cease.
I try to somehow calm the creature behind Captain Leonis by approaching it in a gentle and slow fashion. In each step, every stride I tread, the naga's snarling becomes more agitated and loud - signifies that the naga is dreaded to me. The captain also aids out where he nudges the creature that 'everything's alright.' The sentient is somehow calmed down, however, its gills are protracted - as it shows signs of aggression. Moreover, I am fazed not because I am attempting my best to get the approval of this creature. We are at elbow-length. The hostility has been stopped… the nails of its limbs and its gills have been retracted and relaxed, respectively.
The species glares at me and then in an abrupt moment, it performs a gesture to what I've not expected - a handshake presented in front of me. I reach the gesture with both of my hands - accepting its offer, and then I speak: "Pleasure to meet you." I give salutations to what is in front of me.
"It is… nice… having - -... you." the sentient replies, intelligible yet in a crooked flow of speech.
The handshake is established when I anticipate being met with a warm reaction yet I have a cold sensation on my hand; where, I am not being hysterical, I feel a slimy feeling on my hands. The tinge encloses the entirety of my hand… a webbed fingers wrap around my wrist, exuding a sticky and wet substance. And who would have thought that Captain Leonis is experiencing this kind of treatment almost daily. It is such an embarrassment if I show indications of squirm. That would be a shame in an awful manner.
“Certainly, it would also be my honor to meet with you, honorable ???” I pause, as if somehow tending to know of its name. The sentient is just staring at me blankly, it is whether I am going to finish the sentence or what - the creature does seem not to get the cue.
Captain Leonis intervenes, he struts sideways in front of the creature, saying: “Lord Ameniah is making an askance of your name. What is your name, hmmm?” he gives a wink towards his reptilian companion.
“*Uhm*, well, … - -” the creature stops from speaking, “*Uhm*,... *uhm*” the stammering continues, as it follows with a stutter: “M-m-m-m-my name, n-n-n-name … My name is-is-is-is-is-is … My name is Haha-Haha…” well, it takes long to conclude its introductory salutation, as I think its epitaph is just laughing its ass off. “My name is Habaraef.” at long last, it is finished. As I first thought that coldblooded creature would never encounter having a seizure or a heat stroke or whatsoever. It is just my assumption. However, whatever.
“Habaraef, nice to meet you!”
“Likewise, Lord Ameniah!”