Commission: The Mage and the Naga

   
    Darren Zweiseitig breathed deep of the fresh, sweet-smelling jungle air and tramped onward through the thick, leafy underbrush. Never in his travels had he laid eyes on a more beautiful paradise than this; lush green vegetation and colorful flora and fauna were everywhere he chanced to look, and the atmosphere itself almost made Darren want to kick back under some shade and get some relaxation in. But he staved off the urge to goof off for now, for he was here for one thing only; to catch sight of the rumored naga that dwelled in this forest. The locals had regaled him with strange, varying tales of it; the gist he got was that it was definitely a trickster of sorts. Most of the tales involved people going into the jungle and disappearing for a time, then returning disoriented and cheerfully befuddled, with almost no memory of where they had been or what they had been doing previously. Darren was almost unconvinced by this, as it just sounded like people on ordinary benders, but the locals always chalked these incidents up to encounters with the naga and its magical powers. Being that he was a mage himself, anything magical intrigued him, so he thought it couldn't hurt to check it out, especially since the jungle was so beautiful anyway. 

    He adjusted his glasses on his nose and wiped some sweat from his brow. If he had one complaint about this place, it would be that it was a little too warm for his liking. He reached for the canteen at his hip to get himself a drink, and--

    "Oh, dang it!" he suddenly grumbled through clenched teeth, upending the suspiciously lightweight container. Not a single drop came out. He had completely forgotten to refill it back at the village. He sincerely hoped he'd be able to find some fresh water in this place.

    As luck would have it, he didn't have far to look.

    He ducked beneath some low-hanging branches and suddenly found himself gazing at a luxurious, misty lagoon, flanked on all sides by magnificently verdant trees and plants. The pool of blue-green water gleamed like a precious jewel as dappled rays of sunlight played across its surface. Darren was awed by its beauty for a moment, then cheerfully flipped his canteen into his palm with a smile. Well, that was one less thing he had to worry about, at least. He made his way to the water's edge, spooking a basking lizard from its perch in the meantime, and dipped his canteen into the crystalline water.

    "Oooooooh, spirit in the wood beat the hollow cane
    Spirit in the wood take away the pain
    Make the body ripe and alive again
    Aaaaaah, similau!
    Aaaaaah, similau!"

    Darren was startled by the sound of loud, exuberant singing coming from nearby, and he nearly fell headlong into the lagoon with surprise. He stiffened, on the alert, his brownish-hazel eyes scanning the area.

    "Ooooh, spirit in the heart make the blood flow fast
    Spirit in the heart make the beauty last
    Keep the hope alive while the youth go past
    Aaaaah, similau!
    Aaaaah, similau!"

    The good-natured, ululating warbling was coming from somewhere above him. Darren decided to investigate; normally, he'd most likely ignore it and go on his way, but there could be a slim chance this was the naga he was looking for. He unsheathed the fire staff slung on his back, just in case, and quietly began following the singing.

    "When my lover comes upon the scene
    Drop a petal from the tree-eee-eee
    Fling the mountain up into the sky
    Fill the river with the sea-heeeeee~!"

    As Darren was pinpointing the location of the voice, a few large pink flower petals cascaded down from the jungle canopy and floated lazily to the ground near his feet. Darren looked up, and sure enough, lounging on a low-hanging branch, was the naga himself. He was a broad, muscular creature, with a wild mane of long brown hair, that was decorated with small pink flowers at the moment. His naked torso ended in a thick, powerful serpent's tail, which was mottled brown throughout, except for its tip, which ended in bright red bands outlined by black. The naga was chuckling and clearing its throat, plucking an immense yellow flower from its stem as he did so. He placed the huge flower near his mouth like a microphone and belted out another verse, giving his playful but pleasing voice a kind of amplified effect.

    "Ahe-hem! Oooooh!
    Spirit in the wood let the hollow cane
    Echo in the afterglow
    Waiting for the flame to burn again
    Aaaaaah, similau!
    Come on now, one more time! Aaaaah, similau!
    I don't think I can hear ya! Aaaaaah, similau!"

    Darren couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He didn't know what he had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. "Er....excuse me?" he piped up.

    The naga started, fumbling with the yellow flower for a moment, its large brown eyes widening, and looked down at where Darren stood. "Oh! Heh, hello there!" The naga grinned, its eyes twinkling with mirth.

    "I certainly hope I'm not interrupting anything," Darren said with a polite smile.

    "Huh? Oh, eheheh!" The naga tossed the yellow flower away and ruffled the pink flowers out of his hair, looking a bit embarrassed. "Oh no no! I was just, uh, amusing myself. Didn't think anyone was listening, to be honest." He chuckled and propped his face in his hands, wearing a somewhat sly grin. "So...what brings you into my neck of the woods, hmm?"

    "Well, actually, I--"

    "Wait! Hold that thought!" The naga interrupted him excitedly, causing Darren to frown a bit with irritation. "Why don't you come up here, and we can talk? Saves you from straining your neck, having to look up and everything." 

    "Uhm...." Darren squinted at the naga mistrustfully. "No, no thank you. I don't mind being on the ground." He hadn't forgotten what the villagers had told him, after all, and didn't want to risk not being able to defend himself. 

    "Oh?" The naga blinked in surprise. "Well, in that case....I'll come down to you, then."

    The naga's immense coils slowly slid down the trunk of the tree in a lazy spiraling motion, and used its muscular torso to climb expertly down to where Darren stood. Darren took a step back, gripping his staff protectively and holding it in front of himself. The naga reared himself up, holding out his hands in a placating manner. "Ahaha, there we go! Now we can talk face to face!" The naga wiggled its eyebrows up and down comically. "So, anyway....what were you saying?"

    "Uhhh....right." Darren lowered his staff. The naga didn't seem dangerous; he seemed very strong, yes, but he wasn't acting suspicious....at least, not too suspicious. And he was sort of good-looking close up, too....Darren's cheeks flushed and he hastily shook his head. "Actually...I'm here because I'd heard rumors that there was a naga living in this jungle, and I was curious. Especially since the locals say you're a powerful creature, possessing many magical powers."

    The naga's eyes brown eyes glittered with excitement. "Really? They say that? I mean, uhm." He seemed to catch himself, and his expression turned sly, cocking one of this thick, dark eyebrows. "Ahem, why yes, guilty as charged."

    Darren grinned brightly at this. "Well, that's excellent! I happen to be a magic user myself!" Darren skillfully unsheathed his other two staffs, which were air and black magic-based, and twirled them with his fingers until they arrived straight up and at the ready in his grip.

    "Ooooh, yeah?" The naga's eyes grew wide. "Is that what those thingies are for? To do magic with?" His tail came close and poked Darren's black magic staff curiously. It was made up of a black rod, with a strangely twisted grey circular pattern at the top, adorned with pearly white spheres.

    "Ah ah, please don't touch!" Darren warned him somewhat sternly, moving the staff away. "Sorry, but I just can't be too careful." 

    "Eheh." The naga grinned nervously, tapping the tips of its fingers together. "So, uhm....what do they call you, Mr. Magic-User?"

    "Darren, Darren Zweiseitig. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Darren put his staffs away. "And you are?" 

    The naga cheekily extended his tail for Darren to shake. "Name's Kenneth. Kenny, to my friends." He grinned broadly. 

    "Ah, I see. Well, I certainly hope you'll let me call you Kenny as well," Darren said with a polite smile, and tentatively shook Kenneth's tail.  

    Kenneth chuckled, curling his coils around himself. "Hey, as far as I'm concerned, everyone's a friend to me," he lilted playfully. "Especially one who can use magic!" 

    "Ah, yes....that reminds me," Darren said, sitting down on a nearby outcropping of mossy rock. "Would it be too much to ask for a demonstration of your magical powers? I'd really like to see what you can do. All magic fascinates me, really." 

    "Oh...a demonstration, huh?" Kenneth's eyes gleamed with a cunning light for just a moment, then returned to normal. "Well....allow me to get a little closer, then."

    Kenneth slithered himself over to where Darren sat, plopping down next to him while the rest of his coils curled and bunched around the rock they were sitting on. Darren shied away instinctively, which Kenneth noticed. "Hmm? Something wrong?" he asked curiously.

    "I'm sorry," Darren said, shifting in his seat. "I'm...not really a fan of close contact." He laughed a little. Plus, having this handsome naga so close to him was making him nervous. 

    "Well now....that's really a shame." Kenneth's voice had gone from friendly and excitable to a low, soothing purr. Darren was a little surprised by it, but found it curiously alluring. "You know, sometimes it can be a good thing....a really good thing. But getting back to my 'magic'....are you sure you're up for it?" Kenneth cocked an inviting eyebrow.

    Darren was more than a little intrigued, but he continued to keep his distance. "Yes," he said softly.

    Kenneth leaned closer still, causing Darren to lean back a bit more in response. He began to sing in soft, lilting tones.

    "So, you want to know my secret? 
    Pay close attention and I'll tell
    Adjust your seat
    Put up your feet
    And I'll cast my magic spell..."

    Darren was gazing apprehensively into Kenneth's face as he sang when all of a sudden, the naga's eyes began to change. Slowly, rhythmically, the colors came, bands of orange, blue, green, and yellow, pulsing from the center of his eyes and moving outward in rings. 

    "All you have to do is watch the colors
    It's quite easy, and I say that for a fact
    For my multicolored gaze,
    It has a funny way
    Of helping all my visitors relax..." 

    Darren found himself becoming lost in those whirling, swirling eyes, lulled by the naga's mellifluous singing. He tried to resist, but his hazel-brown eyes were already showing signs of colored rings pulsing through them. "Nng....whuh..." he murmured as he fought with his eyes, trying to get them to close so they were no longer gazing into those delightfully captivating rainbows. 

    "Shhh," Kenneth chuckled, covering Darren's mouth with his tail. "You're breaking my concentration," he lilted sweetly. 

    "Mmmf...." The tail slid off of Darren's mouth and gave his stubbled cheek a lingering stoke before retreating, causing the corner of his mouth to raise into a small smile. "S-Sorry..." he murmured. The colors were blooming in his eyes full force now, a rapturous feeling of repose beginning to wash over him. Kenneth was right, his eyes were very relaxing....Darren watched them bob and sway before his vision, totally spellbound, unconsciously beginning to lean closer and closer towards them, his mouth beginning to hang slightly open.

    Kenneth grinned slyly, and resumed his crooning. "I can see that you're enjoying this immensely--" His tail slipped under Darren's chin and gently nudged his open mouth closed.

    "Well, the good news is, it's not quite over yet
    'Cuz I have this little urge
    That's so hard for me to purge
    So I take any opportunity I get!"

    Kenneth chuckled a bit deviously, his coils rippling with excitement, and began slowly wrapping his tail around Darren, starting with his waist. Darren gasped a little as the coils brushed against his bare arms; they were surprisingly cool from being up in the shade of the trees, and felt heavenly against his too-warm skin. He groaned a little, slipping further under the naga's relaxing sorcery as the coils climbed and curled around his body, his eyelids growing heavy. 

    Kenneth leaned close, whispering the last verse of his little song into Darren's ear as his coils shifted comfortably around him, not too loose and not too tight.

    "So now you've seen the full range of my powers
    I confess that it's not much, but I make due
    My spell is now complete
    Hope it swept you off your feet--" He playfully lifted Darren up off the rock, suspending him in midair for a moment wrapped in his coils before setting him gently back down into his "lap", where he proceeded to wrap his huge, muscular arms around the bundled mage. 
   
    "I'm sure you won't mind if I cuddle you~"

    Darren sighed into the naga's huge chest. It was true that normally he avoided personal contact like this, but....he felt so good, so relaxed, that it didn't bother him in the slightest. 

    "Mmm, ya know....I like you, Darren," Kenneth remarked amiably as he hugged the mage, playing with his hair a little bit. "I like you a lot."

    "Hnnh, I....I like you too, K-Kenny," Darren murmured sleepily, his voice muffled.

    "Really? Well, gosh." Kenneth chuckled a bit slyly, hugging him tighter. "You don't have anything pressing to get to, I hope?"

    "N...No...."

    "Well, good! How would you like to stay and cuddle with me for, oh, an hour or five?" He snuggled his face up against Darren's cheek. "I know I'd like that very much." He purred softly in his throat.

    Darren couldn't stop himself from grinning. "Y-Yes...." he sighed with lethargic bliss.

    Kenneth chuckled, rubbing his cheek against Darren's again. "Music to my ears. By the way....your face tickles." Impulsively he planted a smooch right on Darren's stubbly cheek, causing the mage to blush bright red, and his coils snuggled affectionately against his new 'victim' as he settled in for a rather extended cuddle session.