The Naga of Shriryah Chapter 4

Lindayo knew that time had passed since he had first come to be the servitude of the naga with whom he now lived, almost a month, but still he had not expected his master to arrive so soon. Neither had the naga’s own family it seemed. For when he awoke and went to the nursery as he always did, he found his mistress holding her sons and looking quite flustered but pleased.

“Lindayo, good news, you will not be caring for the twins anymore, we’ve procured a less worthy Shauhy for that task,” she explained, “My son, your master has arrived early, and quite unexpectedly.”

“Uh, when?” he asked now stuttering out the words in shock and sharing that flustered excitement as thoughts such as I wasn’t prepared, when was the last time I practiced any of my skills, well I keep in practice but, oh I’m not dressed well enough to be presented to my master, raced through his mind.

“Late last night, very late, Anujisha decided to travel through the night to get here instead of stopping at an inn, come now; I want you to see your new master at last.”


As Lindayo followed her through the high ceiling hall ways, the cool alabaster stone floors chilling his feet despite the silk slippers he wore. Many thoughts and emotions bombarded him. Nervousness, worry, anticipation, questions, what would his master look like, what would he act like, would his master like him? Then he thought of Harta, the boy who he would rather share a bed with over any naga lord no matter how beautiful.

How would he find time to see him now that he would be busy with his master? A Shauhy was at his master’s side at all times unless naga wished to be alone or for the Shauhy to stay home to relax while his master went out. Always he would be at the naga’s beck and call, ready to serve any whim. It would be difficult to get away and sneak down to the kitchen to see him again.

Lindayo mentally kicked himself for not sneaking down there before the household was awake, but he’d over slept somehow. Now he wasn’t sure when he would get the chance, and it bothered him greatly. His heart was beating quickly and the human realized it was more over anxiety about seeing Harta again than nervousness to see his new master.

When the reached the door to his master’s bed chamber the mistress stopped to knock. Waiting they heard no sound from within, so she opened the door just enough so that she could peak in. Then softly she closed the door and sighed, “I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a while longer to see him, he’s sound asleep. He had a long journey this past night and a big meal when he arrived,” she explained, treating him as ever with the courtesy shown a Shauhy, even if they were slaves.

The boy nodded, “I’ll return to my chambers until he has need of me then,” As soon Shenoi nodded in approval he turned on heal, and headed for his room. Lindayo was very relieved that he would be released for day, which meant he could prepare for when he would be introduced to the naga who he would be bound to for most of life if not all his life, and that he could have a chance to slip off to see Harta. That’s when something clicked in his mind, a realization that swept over him like a wave, leaving his drowning in dread. Harta was Hyshi, Hyshi were meat, Anujisha had eaten a large meal upon arriving, and a large meal was exactly what Harta was born and bred to be.

Over and over the word no, repeated through his mind. As if simply saying no would make the truth not so, he repeated the word like a mantra. He wasn’t even sure it was the truth, but he needed to know. Lindayo was sweating, his stomach felt like it was made of lead, and his lips murmured, “No, no, no” as he quickly raced away from the wing of the house his bedroom was in, and towards the kitchens. Once there he flung open the cupboard door, and finding it empty, sank to his knees weeping.

The he rose, not thinking, he moved as if walking in a dream, as if it wasn’t him. Once more he found himself at his master’s door. Lindayo had to know for sure what had become of the boy he had upon sight become so found of. So he opened the door wide, and there sprawled on a bed that was a nest of silks and cushions over a down mattress was Anujisha. The naga was beautiful, black hair like ebony spun into a waterfall of silk, a well sculpted body, glistening ruby scales that were a brilliant red darker than blood.

But all these features meant nothing to the human, for all he saw was the naga’s belly, swollen very large as if the male naga was somehow pregnant but he was bigger than even a pregnant creature could be. Swollen from a large meal swallowed whole just as a giant snake would swallow a meal. Lindayo knew at once that the meal had been Harta.

Tears were streaming down his face as he stood motionless for a moment, unable to control his sobbing. He cried so hard that he couldn’t breath, and fell into spasms of hiccups. This noise must have roused the sleeping naga lord for he sat up, yawning widely, which was for a naga very wide indeed. Then he looked over at the human confused.

Lindayo turned on heal and ran from the room. He couldn’t stand to look at him. As he ran he knew that he would never be able to face seeing Anujisha again, that he would never be able to stay here as a lap dog to creatures that devoured humans, and that he would never live under the threat of sharing that fate to end up as a meal. So he ran, ran from the room, and in determined he would run from this place.

No other human slaves stopped the Shauhy though some gaped in confusion. No naga’s crossed his path as he fled. Lindayo had did not pause to give any a chance to catch him, running in fear and more so running as a relief for his grief the boy ran out back door of the estate, and straight into the desert. He ran until every muscle and joint burned as much as the sand beneath his feat, until his throat was so dry that each pant stung like needles, until he was dizzy and exhausted, yet still he ran on.

He ran until he was utterly exhausted, and collapsed onto his hands and knees in the sand. Then he was sick, and vomited quietly onto the sand. Rolling away from the mess, he stood and managed to walk on, a few paces, before lying down, and collapsing into the blissful nothingness of unconsciousness.

Madness born of grief had driven him to run. The boy wore only silks; his feet covered only by thin slippers. These would give little protection from the harsh elements of the desert. He had run out into the sands at the hottest time of the day, and the sweat he lost from his exertion cost much of his body’s precious hydration, and being sick hadn’t helped. Soon he would feel the pang of thirst and hunger, as well as the stinging of his skin from the burns he sun would leave on him.

He had gotten far enough away that he would not be easily found. His tracks washed away by the ever changing sands as the wind made the tops of the dunes dance. Yet now Lindayo was at the mercy of the desert, and she was a more merciless killer than any naga born. The human had not thought out his flight and yet none the less he had made it. Now he would come to meet his destiny, if only he could survive.