For a while, neither of them spoke again.
The conversation faded naturally into a comfortable silence as the countryside rolled past outside their windows. Aiden rested one hand on the steering wheel while the other drummed absent-mindedly against the door in time with the music playing softly through the speakers.
Kael finished the last bite of his sandwich and folded the wrapper neatly before placing it back into the paper bag.
Neither of them seemed to mind the silence.
A thought lingered in the back of Aiden's mind for a while before curiosity finally won.
"So..."
Kael turned slightly towards him.
"So?"
Aiden kept his eyes on the road.
"What exactly is this core?"
Kael waited.
"And how does it work?"
A thoughtful expression crossed Kael's face.
"That is not a simple question."
"I've noticed you say that whenever my questions require long answers."
"Because they often do."
Aiden smiled.
"I've got another two days of driving."
"I suppose that is enough time."
Kael shifted in his seat, resting one arm against the window as he looked out at the passing landscape.
"Every living creature possesses spiritual energy," he began. "Humans have it, animals have it and even the oldest trees carry traces of it. Most beings simply live with that energy. They are born with it, they use it throughout their lives and, eventually, it returns to the world."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Nagas are different."
"Our bodies gather that energy throughout our lives and condense it into a single point. That point becomes our core."
"So... you aren't born with one?"
"We are."
Kael smiled faintly.
"It is very small at first. You could compare it to a seed."
"And it grows?"
"As we do."
Aiden nodded thoughtfully.
"Does every naga have the same kind of core?"
"The cores themselves are the same in purpose. It is what surrounds them that differs."
"What do you mean?"
"Our abilities."
Kael looked ahead as another stretch of forest came into view.
"The naga people are not one single tribe."
"We are made up of many."
"Each tribe developed differently over countless generations, and each learned to draw upon the world's spiritual energy in its own way."
"How many tribes are there?"
Kael smiled.
"Hundreds."
"There are that many?"
"There are enough that I would grow tired before naming them all."
Aiden laughed.
"Give me the short version."
"The river tribes possess a strong affinity for water. The mountain tribes are known for their physical strength and resilience. Those born in the marshlands often develop venom powerful enough to kill creatures many times their size."
Aiden let out a low whistle.
"Remind me never to annoy a marsh naga."
"A sensible decision."
"And your tribe?"
Kael's expression softened with quiet pride.
"The royal bloodline belongs to one of the oldest tribes."
"What makes it different?"
"We were entrusted with protecting all the others. So we possess all these abilities "
Aiden glanced at him briefly.
"So you're stronger."
"In most respects."
"There are always exceptions."
He looked almost amused as he added, "Power alone does not make a good ruler."
Aiden smiled.
"That's surprisingly humble coming from you."
"I am more humble and reasonable than you give me credit for."
"Sure you are."
Kael looked at him suspiciously.
"Is that a compliment?"
"Something like that."
"I shall treasure it."
"Really? ."
"No."
They both laughed.
After a moment, Aiden asked another question.
"When you transformed at the lake, your scales had all those beautiful patterns running through them."
Kael looked down at his own hands as though he could still see them there.
"They are part of who we are."
"Every naga's scales carry markings unique to their bloodline. They are not merely decoration. They tell others where we come from."
"So if another naga saw you..."
"They would know my tribe before I spoke a single word."
"Would they know you're royalty too?"
Kael nodded.
"The colour gives that away."
"The blue-black scales?"
"Yes. They belong only to my family."
Aiden was quiet for a moment.
"They looked beautiful."
Kael turned to him with the faintest hint of a smile.
"They do."
The answer was so simple that Aiden almost missed it.
Then he smiled to himself.
"So all nagas can turn into those giant snake forms?"
"Most can."
"Most?"
"The younger children cannot maintain the transformation for very long."
"And some elders choose not to."
"Why?"
"They either stay in their human form or stay in a full on snake form. It takes too much to stay in a half way, naga form. Most prefer the full on snake form tho."
"So you can change to a full snake form? Without human counterparts?"
Kael looked genuinely puzzled "Of course we can. "
"I thought you could only alternate between two forms."
"Well, we have three forms."
"That's sick. Is there a difference between a normal snake and a naga in snake form?"
"Yes there is. A naga is usually bigger. Bit it would be difficult for a human to notice"
" can you communicate with regular snakes" Aiden couldn't help but ask
" Only you would ask such demeaning question. I am royalty, they are beneath me"
"I don't know why I expected a different answer."
"And I can't fathom why you would."
"But Nagas can communicate with regular snakes? " . Aiden refused to back down
Giving a sigh kael answered " Yes Aiden, yes we can"
"Of course you can, you're the same species."
" why does that sound strangely insulting" Kael looked back out of the window, the corners of his mouth slightly lifted.
"I don't think it is though ." Aiden smiled, letting the conversation settle for a while.
His mind wandered over everything Kael had told him.
An entire civilisation hidden from history.
Different tribes.
Different powers.
Royal bloodlines.
It all felt impossibly vast.
There was one question, however, that refused to leave him alone.
He glanced sideways.
"So..."
Kael looked back at him.
"Was your former lover a naga too?"