Chapter 25: Family

Third POV

"Ya 're indeed one of the f'ckers.", the shadowy figure of a snake declared at it slithered below a lampost, he also had multiple belts around his body, most crammed with an ungodly amount of ammunition.

Cahaya looked at the figure that just talked to him, his body was relaxed but ready to strike at any moment. He was here fully knowing it could be a trap, he also informed Mamoru of it and he has the same chip that tells where he is. He didn't want any stupid drama.

"Are you the one they were supposed to send here?", the hybrid coldly asked as his lavender eyes looked over the brown-orange scaled diamondback rattlesnake. He seemed to be a veteran or a thug mixed with a sheriff, he seemed eccentric.

The snake nodded his slitted eyes going up and down as he studied Cahaya's body, he understood why his cousin was jealous, arms were a touchy subject with armless animals, a very difficult subject to grasp.

Cahaya heard something at the end of the rattlesnake tail that made repeated metallic clicking sounds, similar to that of the hammer of a revolver. It was a metallic rattle.

Cahaya looked at the end of the tail to notice a strange gun barrel that had metal pieces constantly turning clockwise. It had a golden symbol of a cobra with lavender eyes that was biting its own tail.

'Same symbol as on my fancy fountain pen… and now that I think about it. It looks like the ouroboros snake from my past life.', Cahaya remembered, he also noticed a change of temperature at the top of the hat and saw that it was a blue bird the size of a mouse and it also had a very long and thin beak. 

He quickly flicked his black bifid tongue and already had a very basic profile of the two. The bird was a she and a hummingbird. The last one he deduced, he never saw hummingbirds in the flesh in both of his lives but they were fairly easy to distinguish.

"Code name's Kayaku, one of the hitsnake and bodyguards of yer lovely f'mily. And yes, 'm here to bring ya to 'nother meeting area. The paranoid f'kers.", he bluntly introduced himself, not mincing his words or caring about the vocabulary he used.

Kayaku then uses his prosthetic machine gun tail to readjust his cowboy hat. Making the bird at the top of it fly out.

Her wing buzzed as she flickered and glared at the rattlesnake that was more than a thousand times making the latter flinch.

Then in the blink of an ey,e she hovered in front of Cahaya, he was surprised by her speed. He knew they were fast but his eyes could barely keep up with her speed.

"Greetingsjustasmyloudmouthedcolleaguesaidweareheretobringyouwearegoingtoblateewedontwanttobelatelateisbad.", she spat in a very high pitched voice word like a gatling gun, she breathed in, then used one of her small talons, each claw covered with a very thin blade, she grabbed one of the sugary water bottles attached to her green skirt and drank it.

Cahaya already had already murderous thoughts about the annoying mosquito obsessed with time. And he didn't hide it, his hood unfolded slightly but he calmed as he took a very deep breath making his snake inflate and then deflate. No killing, not at the moment. 

Then she started again but 'slower' and with a bit of fear lashing her voice, and she had her professionalism back, "I apologize if I spoke too fast and dispersed the young master. But we need to hurry young master Cahaya. 

The masters are very strict with their schedules. Ah, I forgot, my name is Navi, a blue-chinned sapphire and the Manager of the Naja estate in Zebuth.", she finished with a forced smile as she flew rapidly back on the cowboy hat, going as far away from the unstable teenager as possible. 

The hybrid internally cringed at the 'young masters' but formalities were formalities. It still was better than the dozen of other nicknames and titles he got at Cherryton Academy. 

"'kay let's go young m'ster.", the rattlesnake proposed, as he slithered. Cahaya nodded as he followed after the rude bodyguard. He didn't really care about what he called his 'family', from what he could get. He didn't really like them.

They travelled through the whole Black Market, going in and out of dark alleys with those tags that said 'Death to the Black Devil!' and many more threats, even some for him, more like what he did when he chased Legoshi.

The Balck Market wasn't in its usual state, the Shishigumi disappeared from the face of Earth, making the place leaderless, the Madaragumi number was divided by three, the last two were on silent radio and the Turf War was coming. The inhabitants were confused, scared and angry. 

Crime rate has greatly increased, a feat for a place where predation, cannibalism, murder, ràpe, child trafficking and all in between were frequent before but now… it was worst and more chaotic. You didn't want to go out at night, or even the day for that matter.

The meat market of the entire region has taken a huge hit. Meat mostly came from hospitals and their morgue before getting sold in the Black Market.

The trio arrived in front of a completely new and luxurious seven stories tall 'hotel' at the border between the Black Market and the city. It was made and bought recently.

"Here, young master.", Navie said as she opened a secret passage that led below the building, they didn't enter from the main entrance. They passed through a labyrinth that finally led to the 'basement'. A room of gigantic proportion.

'Oh, the ground is heated.', Cahaya pleasantly noted, while in the background oriental music could be heard. The ground was a subtract composed of different types of sands, it was very pleasant to his ventral scale. It was warming his coldblooded body.

The air inside was also purer than that of the outside with a pleasant scent of flowers, hundreds of varieties of flowering plants were perfectly placed with small water fountains arounds. It was incredibly luxurious, beautiful and elegant. 

He looked up and uttered a low 'wow' of amazement. The Shishigumi were piss poor in comparison. He knew they were supposedly rich but he seriously underestimated his 'family' fortune.

The architecture was a homogeneous mix of indian, arabic and thai architecture. A strange mix that worked here. Pillars and archs covered by lines of gold and silver, entering in the excess. It was nearly too much.

The guards dressed in black suits respectfully bowed as Cahaya in his black tracksuit slithered past them, he looked really out of place, not that he cared.

The bodyguards knew who he was, they were informed amd if some were not they were professional not dumbass. And discipline was of the utmost importance to them, this is why Kayaku was not very liked by most of his subordinates but he was still respected for his efficiency and skills.

Most were reptiles, and in those reptiles most were snakes, Cahaya remarked that they were all smaller than Rokume and Kayaku. It was also the biggest amount of snakes he show such far. He could count on the fingers of his hands the numbers he saw since he arrived in Zebuth.

That said a lot about the discrimination snakes suffered. Who would employ snakes? Nearly nobody, that's it. They were considered creepy and crippled animals by most.

Three dozens of hyperactive hummingbirds we're orderly flying around doing their respective tasks. Making low buzzing sound that was overpowered by the ambient music.

"Young master Cahaya, I wish you a pleasant stay.", Navi formally declared as she zipped away and directly started to order the other hummingbirds.

The hybrid gaze stopped when his eyes landed upon a luxurious red couch embroidered with gold that was itself in front of a huge low table, on it was a snake, a male snake, with brown-golden scales that were fading to grey.

Yet the most shocking part was the presence of two necks with golden jewellery around them, then two heads, and both of the heads were gazing back into Cahaya's own lavender eyes with their own two pair of lavender eyes.

Then the two-headed snake smirked at his grandson, showing his fangs, maybe this one won't be a disappointment. 

They noticed the same insanity they had. Letting their daughter, Surya, Cahaya's mother, ran away with her pet axolotl was really a good idea on their part. Better than making her marry her brother and having another disappointment. Disappointment can only create disappointment.

They won't let the Naja family disappear even if tainting their pure bloodline is necessary or if a bastard becomes the head of the family. They absolutely hated it but their emotions wouldn't control them. Not counting that Cahaya was the son of a Sea-scholar.