Chapter 6
Serene stood up from the crouch to turn towards the new voice. "
Well, Loki I was getting a bite to eat before you rudely disturbed me," Serene said as she folded her hands in front.
Loki squinted to see if there was some sort of fruit that the bush sprouted.
"Serene there seems to be no edible substance in the vicinity," Loki said as he circled the Galaxian.
"There are some things that you don't know, Silvertongue," Serene smirked as she watched Loki's eye squinted in anger.
"Really, I highly doubt that," Loki said matter of factly.
"Now if you if you pardon me prince Loki I would like some peace and quiet," Serene said as she started to walk away.
She felt cool fingers encircle her wrist.
"Ah, but dear Serene it is quiet the accusation you made about my knowledge, why don't you share?" Loki said a mischievous smirk tugging at his lips.
"But where is the fun in that, Prince?" Serene said as she fluidly escaped his grasp.
With a wink she teleported to a more secluded spot in the maze located in her own private gardens.
Luckily, when she was younger she casted a spell that would not allow a non-Galaxian in the garden.
She didn't understand why she didn't come here in the first place; perhaps she wanted to play with the young prince?
Serene walked the gardens, stopping every once and awhile and collected the energy from any troublesome plants.
She walked past the main entrance and saw the Guardians crouched in the shadows.
The pair was a fearsome wolf breed. They were as dark as the void at night and as bright as the sun in the daytime.
They could only be seen clearly by their mother, the one who created them.
Serene needed someone to protect her gardens where different species of animals and plants thrived if they went extinct, Serene would create a breeding pair in the garden and slowly introduce the species back into the wild once there were enough individuals.
Her wolves were the last of their kind excluding Loki's child Fenrir who was only half the type of wolf her were.
They stood as tall as any of the giants of Jotunheim and had two rows of razor sharp teeth that could cleave a slab of meat of any bone.
The Asgardians believed them to be a strand of Dire wolf but they were closely related to Helhounds.
The pair stood straighter as they woofed as they saw their mother approaching towards the entrance.
Serene lifted her hands and placed one in front of the massive heads and brushed her fingers up their muzzle.
The twins thumped their tails as they lay down to get a belly rub.
"You know, I'm surprised you two haven't asked about meeting Fenrir, Loki's child is almost as big as you two now," She said as she lay back leaning against her sons.
We have heard rumors of Fenrir living in the dungeons for being a monstrosity; the bringer of Odin's death, there is no point in meeting an already dead being.
The elder wolf spoke as he laid his head tucking Serene in towards his side.
The younger of the pair lay with his side touching Serene's feet.
"Darius, I think as long as he is trapped within my gardens All father would release him," Serene said as she spoke to her eldest.
Silas leaned in and stared at the pair.
Well can he at least speak? I don't want to be stuck with this nutter for the end of our days, No offence brother.
Silas gave a snicker showing the bottom teeth in a grin.
Careful brother one would think I was annoying when it's the other way around.
Darius said swatting a paw at Silas's head. "Boys, you are going to squash me in your petty argument," Serene said as she got a mouthful of fur.
She sputtered as they settled back down once Silas yelped when Darius bit his ear playfully.
"Communicating with the wolves, how touching," A dark voice said from the shadows.
"Ansa you might as well show yourself, you know how the boys get when their mother is insulted," Serene huffed out.
A large male Naga slithered into sight.
He looked like the dark prince only his bottom half was a dark colored serpent tail.
His skin was scaled even on the pale flesh with dark brown hair atop his head.
"It's been so long since you have been here, Lover why don't you come see me?" Ansa said as he slowly approached.
The Wolves were waved off as Serene stood to approach the being.
She transformed, as she got closer only her form had the hood since she was the royal blood.
"You know why Ansa, I was busy with other duties," Serene said as she approached the male Naga.
Ansa reached up and caressed her cheek in a loving matter.
"Are you afraid of what is to happen tonight, you know I would not hurt you, you mean too much to me," Ansa said as he gazed deeply into her eyes.
His eyes were a molten gold color with the slits of a reptile.
He had a small love filled smile on his lips. "You know I can't love you as much as you love me, my destined is not you lover," Serene said as she looked away from his face.
"I know sweetheart, but I cannot help it I will however love our children once they hatch tonight," Ansa said as he lay a kiss on her forehead.
Ansa was Serene's first lover, her mother had told her he was the last male Naga born, the rest of his kind were killed as prices by the Midguardians.
He was hidden with the Basilisks in order to protect before Serene came and brought him to her realm to protect him.
Her mother had told her since she had a royal blood from the Nagas through her ancestors it would be better to mate with him instead off creating a temporary female.
Her mother decided to break it to her that sometimes the Galaxian sacrificed their body in order to save a race from total extinction.
Serene had ranted and argued with her mother for months over this topic until Serene saw how alone Ansa was as he saw the beings with others of their kind…a family.
It broke her heart that she had the solution but was stubborn in order to give up her body.
She eventually broke down and preformed the ritual so she could carry the offspring without showing.
She had told the Queen she had duties to her realm of the Unknown.
Frigga had kept her whereabouts silent until she gave birth to the eggs a month later and came back.
Frigga wanted to meet the new babes once they were old enough.
Ansa tapped Serene out of her trance as he led her to his home where the eggs were.
They slithered into the small hole in the rock face to get to the home.
There was a glow from the fire Ansa had constructed to keep the temperature just right for the clutch to be half male and half female.
The sun that was illuminated through the stain glass window was setting in the Unknown realm.
The moon was just peaking through the darkness.
"Oh my love I cannot wait to see our babes," Ansa said as he laid a kiss on her lips.
He wanted so desperately to make love to her again but knew it was too soon for her; well that and his babes were going to hatch soon.
They made their way over to the nest, which was in the corner near the fireplace.
The nest was woven from moss, silks and many other various soft textures. Serene held her hand above her chest as she saw the eggs.
They were humming with energy waiting for the moon to hit the apex of the skyline.
Ansa came up from behind Serene and held her in embrace.
He leaned his head on her shoulder kissing her neck, "Oh love, they will be beautiful, with our scale colors and hopefully your hood," Ansa said smirking into her neck his tongue flicking out to taste her skin.
"Your powers of seduction have no affect on me Ansa," Serene said as she slithered away from and into the nest.
After an hour she saw the beginning of the signs that they were going to hatch.
Little cracks were forming as the babies fought to free themselves.
All too soon they began to hatch letting out a hiss as they slid out of the shell.
Various squeals and hisses filled the air. Serene started crying as she say some of the babies swaying to look at their parents.
"My darlings, oh your so beautiful," Serene said as she leaned down and gently cradled a few.
Ansa cradled a couple as well as he sat in the nest with her.
There was one egg though that was still full.
"I don't think that one will make it, it was cold this morning and I couldn't warm it up enough," Ansa said as he gently put down the babes to pick up the egg.
Following his actions, Serene took the egg from him and held it in her arms.
"That is because it is not a Naga, it is a True serpent, which is only awakened with the tongue of Old," Serene said.
She knew that every once and awhile that a serpent was born from a naga pair that would be full serpent.
The child would then be a basilisk but more intelligent then it's cousins, which were more common.
A true serpent could command any reptile with the voice of old and would only die if it chooses to or died in battle for a loved one.
"What will you do with him?" Ansa asked as he bowed his head.
"I will raise him until he is old enough to understand the rights and wrongs of his powers," Serene said as she wrapped the egg in a spare cloth.
"Will you visit again to see us," Ansa asked as he nuzzled his head into her bare chest.
"I will, it is our duty to raise these children but I have other duties as well," Serene said as she held his head with one of her hands.
"I will miss you, Love," Ansa said as he kissed her. "I will be back soon enough," Serene said as she hugged him and her children before disappearing with the egg.
She fled the real and walked out of the garden. She placed a shadow spell over herself as to not be noticed.
Serene arrived back at her chambers with the egg.
She placed the egg on the floor near the fireplace and spoke in a hiss filled language.
I Call upon you great True Serpent, to allow this child to break free, to rule the world in a kind and gentle heart. I call upon you to let my son break his chains and join me in this realm. Great True Serpent let him free!
Suddenly the egg exploded with eggshell fragments flying everywhere. From the casing a emerald-coiled body lay within.
The snake raised his head in order to look to his mother.
"Oh my precious child you need a name," Serene cooed as she wrapped his fragile body around her arm.
"I shall call you Leviathan."