Dhaga swam deeper into the underwater cave as he searched frantically for any clues of his sister’s whereabouts. He last heard Seiluxr discover something and looked to retrieve it. She claimed that her discovery may turn things around for the nagas. However, he got worried when she failed to return after three days. As nagas, they could not only hold their breath underwater for an entire day but they also possessed a spell that could further extend the duration. The extension depended on the user’s magical abilities so Seilux, being one of the more powerful sorceresses in their clan, could extend her time underwater for a few extra days. Despite the fact that his sister would have no issues with air, Dhaga couldn't shake the feeling that something happened to her. Given how safe the cave had been for the nagas in the last century, Seilux’s trip should take at most a day unless something went wrong.

“We should spread out so we check every cavern,” Dhaga said to the other nagas as the group approached a fork in the cave.

Without another word, the four other nagas split up in different directions. The five of them formed a pod that was regularly sent out to the ocean as a patrol. With some of those trips taking several days at a time and constantly filled with danger, they had formed unbreakable bonds knowing they had each other’s backs. When the other four nagas learned of what Dhaga planned on doing, they offered to assist him in the matter. The young naga thanked his podmates as, with numbers, they could cover more of the cave. If Seilux did need help, one of them could reach her sooner and the precious time saved could be the difference between life and death. The young naga only hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Dhaga was left with the passageway that led to the largest cavern in the cave system. He didn’t know what his sister was looking for but he intended on at least finding her safe. Seilux wasn’t great with time so he hoped she merely lost track of her time while she uncovered her discovery. Yet, the brother side of him made it so he had to confirm the matter personally. The largest cavern was once home to a creature called the Leviathan but it had mysteriously disappeared. No traces were found of the creature that was once worshiped by the nagas. According to the old myths, the Leviathan was a guardian who protected the nagas from all harm. The mighty creature chose to stay within the cavern while it formed a barrier around naga territory. Since the creature’s disappearance several years earlier, the nagas failed to find any explanation for the Leviathan’s disappearance and the nagas found themselves constantly under threat.

Could she have found something related to the Leviathan?

Just then, Dhaga felt warmth near his chest and looked down.

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What the…

The necklace around Dhaga’s neck shone brightly, causing the naga to stop in his tracks. The naga then looked around but nothing stood out to him. He held the necklace in his hand and swam in a small circle, noting the jewelry shone the brightest when he was closest to the large cavern.

Please be okay!

The brightness of the light terrified Dhaga. While he wasn’t a proficient spellcaster like his sister, he still had some spells and some basic understanding of magic. The necklace was indicating that a power, far greater than what he thought was possible, was up ahead. Dhaga had always heard the powerful sorceresses were attracted to powerful sources of magic. Either Seiluxr discovered something incredible or someone laid down a trap to attract those seeking more magic. If the former, then he had no doubt his sister discovered something to aid them against the Kraken and its followers. The war had gone poorly and the nagas desperately needed something to tip the balance in their favor. If the latter, he would make the individual responsible for the trap pay.

Throwing caution aside, Dhaga swam through the passageway at his top speed until he arrived at the cavern entrance. The necklace was shining so bright he had to put it in a pouch to stop it from blinding him. The scene before him was sadly disappointing. It looked like any other underwater caverns with nothing standing out. Even the magic, clearly detected by the necklace, couldn’t be visibly seen from the entrance. After scanning the entire cavern, Dhaga couldn’t see any sign of his sister. Steeling his resolve, the naga swam towards the center of the cavern. Before he could reach the center, Dhaga felt invisible strands sticking to him and, despite his best efforts, he couldn’t shake those strands loose. Realizing that he was like a prey caught up in a spider’s web, Dhaga raised his arms.

“Aqua blade!”

Two blades, forming from the water around him, appeared in his hands. Dhaga then sliced where he suspected the invisible strands to be but his blades were stopped as though they hit something too hard to cut through. Despite repeated attempts, he never once felt his blades successfully cut through anything. With each strike, he could feel his blades weakening. To make matters worse, his attempts made him more and more tangled in the strands. Before long, he couldn’t even move any of his limbs.

“Curses!” shouted Dhaga at the top of his lungs.

Now that he was completely immobile, Dhaga thought long and hard about what he could do. His aqua blades were his strongest weapons but they did nothing against the strands which appeared to be magical in nature. He had a much smaller arsenal of spells due to male nagas lacking affinity with magic, at least compared to the female nagas. Waiting for his podmates wasn’t going to change anything due to them also lacking the tools to address the issue. To calm his nerves, Dhaga closed his eyes to meditate, hoping to find a solution by the end of his meditation. As soon as he closed his eyes, he heard an unfamiliar voice.

Are you the champion who will save the nagas?