A large cup, carved from the bleached bone of an unknown beast, was placed on a heavy stone table. It sloshed with a thick, dark liquid.

  "What's this?" Neon asked, looking down at the grim vessel.

  "A welcome drink... try it," Naraga said, sitting opposite the twins. His massive frame made the stone bench look like a child’s toy.

  Neon took a sip, his eyes brightening. "Hmm... nice." He set the bone cup down and leaned forward.

  Naraga, however, was still rubbing his bruised throat. "I need to ask you something. Initially, I found your powers to be weak. No strength. Your arms felt thin. But suddenly, I felt the shift in energy—it doubled. Why?"

  "It’s nothing... just a shift of powers between us," Vana said softly, his voice barely a whisper in the large cavern.

  "Tell me in detail," Naraga pressed, his ego still stung by the defeat.

  "Our birth is shared," Vana explained. "We were supposed to be one soul, one body, but we were born as twins. Because of that, our power can be shifted between us at will. The reason I couldn't fight you evenly at the beginning is because I was using only my own strength. Later, Neon shifted his arm strength to me, and I shifted my leg strength to him. That is how I stopped your punches."

  Naraga rubbed his neck again, the memory of the lock vivid. "That’s why the neck lock was so painful... your legs had the strength of two vamps." He leaned back, the obsidian throne groaning. "So, tell me the matter."

  "Let me be straight," Neon said, his casual tone disappearing. "We need your Vahanas."

  Naraga burst into a loud, mocking laugh that sent bats fluttering from the ceiling. "My Vahanas? Fine. But what am I going to get in return?"

  "Whatever you ask," Neon replied.

  Naraga’s face hardened. "Trading is prohibited with vampires who have been removed from the High Council. I think you know that."

  "Yes, we know," Neon said, a cold smirk forming. "King Janaga, was afraid of our ways. He follows the traditional path—collecting souls by slow, manual hunting. But we are planning something different."

  "What is your plan?" Naraga asked, his gaze piercing.

  "You have the Vahanas... they are legendary," Neon said. "They can collect a massive amount of souls in a short time. Your kind is using them to fight the Vessels and hit your 'benchmark' effortlessly."

  "We are supposed to collect double the amount of souls in the North than you do in the South," Naraga countered. "We need a massive force to do that. Considering the Vessels are getting stronger day by day, the Vahanas are our only viable solution."

  "Cave demons are as strong as pure-blood vamps," Neon said, his voice dripping with subtle insult. "But your attacks are not frequent enough. You are quitting your duty and assigning it to the Vahanas while you become sluggish—eating and sleeping all day."

  SLAM!

  Naraga’s fist hit the stone table with the force of a falling boulder. "Be careful with your words! The Vahanas were given to us to preserve them. There is a reason why Bhavirana does not give them to vampires... he has no confidence in you. He thinks you are weaker."

  "Your crew saw who was weaker a few minutes ago in the duel," Neon countered.

  Vana raised a hand to quiet his brother, though his eyes remained sharp.

  Neon continued, "Alright... give us two Vahanas. You can retain the rest for yourself."

  Naraga’s laughter boomed, a dry, mocking sound that rattled the bone cup on the table. "You think I can just give them away? Never!"

  Neon’s face darkened, his eyes flashing a predatory crimson. He began to rise, his fingers twitching as if to call back his power for another strike—but Vana’s hand shot out, catching his brother's wrist. Vana shook his head slightly, then turned his gaze back to the King.

  When Vana spoke, his voice was light, airy, and carried a hypnotic pull.

  "King Naraga... my apologies for my brother's words. He has a temper issue," Vana said smoothly. "We know your legacy. You fought beside Bhavirana himself in the Vedhic War. We respect you as much as we respect King Janaga. Your achievements are sung across the underworld."

  Naraga’s posture shifted. The anger in his eyes faded into a wary pride.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  "As a warrior, you have fulfilled your duties," Vana continued, leaning in. "And now, you are simply finding a short time to rest. We understand you. I can see that this cavern is full of your soldiers, and their King is here...

  Vana stopped and continued" but... Where is the Queen?"

  Vana’s words hit home. He had instantly awakened a dormant desire within the demon King—a longing for something the cold, damp cave could not provide.

  Naraga fell silent, his massive jaw tightening as he began to think. The image of a Queen sitting beside him on the obsidian throne was a bait far more enticing than a "smooth deal."

  Meanwhile, huddled behind the jagged stone ledge, Pari, Aishwarya and Jatayu watched the negotiation.

  "By Vahanas... they mean the Titans," Pari whispered.

  Aishwarya’s eyes were fixed on the glowing orbs on Naraga's neck—the Boar and the Cobra. She also noticed the orb carrying the Mammoth Symbol. "They are..." she replied, her mind racing.

  Deep in the Manali forest - Surya, Vaishu, Sheetal, and Mona sprinted toward the eastern edge, their boots thudding against the damp earth.

  ?"We should reach the cave as soon as possible," Surya said, his breath hitching. "It would be worse if they encounter a larger Titan while we're separated."

  ?"Don't worry, brother... we'll handle it," Sheetal reassured him.

  "Hold on!" Surya commanded, his hand shooting up to halt Team 3.

  The bushes ahead rustled violently, and a figure emerged. He wore a haunting, familiar mask, but something was off. Surya pointed at the figure's head. "Chandru... is that you? What happened to your hair?" Chandru was known for his long, flowing, smooth locks—this person had hair that was wildly curled and messy.

  "No... it’s Rana. Follow me," the figure replied, the mask muffling his voice.

  "Why are you wearing that mask?" Mona asked, tilting her head in confusion.

  "My Master gave this as a gift to me," Rana said with a strange, newfound pride.

  "Master? Who is your master?" Mona pressed.

  "There he is," Rana said, gesturing toward a clearing.

  Surya looked ahead and found Chandru, Nova, and Mia standing in a small circle.

  "Everything okay?" Chandru asked, his voice steady and low.

  "Yeah... it’s manageable," Surya said, stepping closer.

  He looked at Chandru, then back at the masked Rana. "Did you give your mask to him?"

  ?Chandru sighed heavily. "No... he took it from me."

  But as he approached, Mia stepped in his path. "Move away from our Master," she said sharply.

  Rana, adjusting the mask, added, "Our Master is a man of legacy. Don’t get near him."

  Surya blinked, looking at the team in disbelief. "What happened to all you guys?"

  "That’s a big story," Chandru sighed, rubbing his temples.

  "Where is Nova?" Surya asked, looking around. Chandru simply pointed behind him with a vertical thumb. Nova was standing perfectly still in the shadows.

  "Hey... all okay?" Surya asked.

  "Yeah," Nova replied shortly.

  "Uh... why are you so silent? Did something happen?"

  "No," Nova said, his posture mimicking Chandru’s exactly.

  Surya squinted at him. "Hey... why are you speaking like Chandru?"

  Vaishu intervened, a small smirk crossing her face as she observed the stiff movements of Team 2. "Seems like Team 2 is suffering from Moonmask Syndrome."

  "Yeah," Nova replied, crossing his arms just like Chandru.

  Chandru’s face twisted in frustration. He looked at Nova, who was currently his literal shadow. "stop acting like me!"

  "Okay... Master," Nova said, without a hint of irony.

  "Then.. let's go," Surya said, breaking the tension.

  Surya took the lead, sprinting toward the eastern edge, with a frustrated Chandru and his "loyal disciples" following close behind.

  "Alright..." Naraga rumbled, his voice heavy with a sudden, uncharacteristic softness. "As of now... I never thought about this. But I need a Queen."

  Vana’s smile was sharp and graceful. "Tell me, King Naraga. There are many beautiful women in the Vampire society. You can select one as your Queen and keep the others as your consorts."

  "No," Naraga interrupted, his eyes fixated on a distant point in the dark cavern. "I don’t need consorts. I need that one woman."

  "Who is it?" Vana asked, his voice tilting with curiosity.

  "Neeli."

  The air in the cavern seemed to drop ten degrees. Neon and Vana froze, their predatory confidence replaced by visible shock.

  "Neeli... the First Vamp Queen?" Neon asked, his voice barely a whisper.

  "Yes. Her," Naraga replied.

  "That’s a bit tough, King Naraga," Vana said, trying to regain his composure. "Can you change your mind? You have other options—"

  "Options?" Naraga exclaimed, a sudden fire in his eyes. "No. I need her. It won’t be tough for you. Her beauty is beyond heaven... my eyes froze when Janaga first introduced her to me."

  The Flashback:

  For a moment, the damp cave walls dissolved. Naraga was no longer a scarred king in a hollow; he was back in the marble halls of the old palace.

  ?"I was young then," he began, his voice heavy with an ancient ache. "I remember the moment Neeli walked in—she was a vision of power and elegance. I can still see her."

  "But my time was not good," Naraga narrated, his voice vibrating with a centuries-old ache. "Janaga was my friend—my closest ally. I stood by him through every bloody campaign. But when he took Neeli as his Queen, I felt a crack in my heart. I remained silent out of loyalty. Yet, time changes everything. Janaga remarried. He asked Neeli to step down, to give her throne to his second wife. He threw her away like a rusted blade."

  "I asked her to marry me after that betrayal," Naraga continued, his fist clenching. "But she refused. Even then, she was more loyal to Janaga than he ever was to her."

  Back to the Present: Neon narrowed his eyes. "You cannot force her to like you. If you try to cage a woman like Neeli... it’s death for everyone involved."

  "Then try convincing her," Naraga said. "Janaga no longer cares for her existence. She can be the Queen of the Cave-Demons. More than a Queen—she would be my King. I would do whatever she commands."

  Before Neon could voice another objection, Vana interrupted. "We agree. We will do this... but on one condition. You must give us two Vahanas."

  Naraga looked at the necklace glowing against his grey skin. "I am ready to give you any Vahana... except Airavat." He pointed to the orb with the Mammoth Symbol.

  "Why? What is special about that one?" Neon asked.

  ?"Don't you realize how difficult it is to summon a Vahana?" Naraga leaned forward, his features swallowed by the morning shadows. "It is the first century of the Fading—the era when the Divine vision vanished from the world, and we Mythics began to rise."

  Thanks for reading!

  If you have enjoyed the story - a comment or a rating would mean a lot.