Kahann the Naga: Part One (special preview)

Nightmares, you thought, were only dreams. You believed that, as long as you were pious and good, they could not hurt you. Having been told all your life that as long as your prayed, as long as you were a behaved child and did all your duties, that only good things would come to you. Rewards were promised, but the one presented to you was far from the treasure you expected.

For years your parents had been looking for a proper husband for you. A man of great standing, wealth, and moral fortitude. You thought to yourself how they were searching for a priest of holy man, someone who would not be mindful of the sins of the flesh. It made you giggle, and you would suddenly feel repentant for thinking so wickedly. You would pray for mercy from such thoughts. But in any case, you figured that your wedding would not happen for a long time. Your parent’s standards were too high, as as such, you were happy spending your days at home.

But nightmares have a way of striking fast and when you do not see them coming.

“Darling! Darling come here, we have a surprise for you.” Your mother’s smile did express her excitement, but there was something that set you on edge as she approached. Usually, when she wanted you to do something without question, she would grab your whole arm and bring it close to her. When she reached for your arm, you reaction was to recoil, but you feared retribution for such a movement, so you instead let her take you.

“A surprise?” You asked.

“Yes! Yes! Wait until you see! It is a very big surprise!” Her hand gripped you so tight her knuckles went white. Your elbow ached from her clutch, as did the underside of your arm.

“Oh my,” you said with breathless reserve, “What could it possibly be?”

Your mother took you into the solarium of the house. You could see your father there, and your younger brother serving tea and fresh fruit. Sitting before your father was an older man with a peppered beard and bushy brows.

The man stood as you entered and your mother’s grip didn’t budge. “Darling, this is Lord Sheer, he’s from the Northern territories.”

“An old friend of mine,” your father said as he stood.

You would have relaxed, but your mother’s grip kept you from feeling calm. “Oh, how nice of you to visit.”

“He’s more than here to visit!” Your mother pushed your forward. “He’s here to take your hand.”

All your life you had struggled with thoughts that weren’t your own. You fought these mean, cruel, dark  shapes in your mind that whispered like sinister snakes tangled in the roots of your brain,

“This man is to be my husband?” You thought, feeling hatred inside. “But he is so old! Older than my father from the looks of him! His eyebrows are like tentacles! His beard is frayed and uncared for! His nails are dirty! Am I being teased?”

Lord Sheer bowed his head, taking your hand and your mother began to release you. His hand felt greasy, and the thick scent of cologne on him only made the scent of his body odor that much more apparent.

“You are as beautiful as your father said,” he chuckled in a way that made your toes curl. “A young flower to brighten up my garden.”

“Garden? What sort of garden?” You thought as you tried to keep your smile in place. Your eyes darted to your father , and for that brief moment you had so much you wanted to say, so many questions you wanted to ask. But instead you played the dutiful daughter and you bowed your head. “Thank you.”

You sat beside Lord Sheer as he talked with your parents. Unless you were spoken to you did not respond. Those hateful little thoughts continued to echo in the chambers of your mind. They yelled, they screamed, they said all the things you couldn’t speak up to your parents. All these years of talking about the man they wanted for you, and they choose a man who looked like he sneezed into his palm rather than a handkerchief.