"Stupid Yadi!" Luna grumbled to herself. Her butt still stung from Yadi's encouragement. Luna had to be mad if not she would be too embarrassed to move. "Doesn't she know Drippy is impressionable? What if she goes around slapping the butts of everyone she meets?" Luna smiled, she was acting as if Drippy were their child. As if they could have a child together. Luna's face started to get hot, she remembered Yadi's lips pressed against hers. They were so soft and sweet. Luna had eyed them often. She loved stealing glances at Yadi, she thought she was cool and confident and everything she wasn't. Now that Luna thought about it she had felt that way since they were children growing up in their village together.

Luna was so lost in thought she had arrived at her destination before she realized. She saw what looked like a tower. There were two nagas guarding the entrance, both wearing armor and wielding weapons that looked like spears. They crossed their spears blocking her path. Luna had felt intimidated but then she remembered this was for the greater good. "Hello." Luna had said trying her best to sound calm. Both Soldiers turn to her and stared her down. Luna almost flinched but she held her ground.

"State your business." The guard on the left asked.

"I have come to exchange knowledge on magic." Luna stated confidently. The guard on the left shot the guard on the right a look. They assessed her and deemed she wasn't a threat.

"You may enter." The guard on the right said. They uncrossed their spears and Luna was granted entry. She entered a passageway and was met by a naga that seemed friendlier. He had no armor and instead was wielding several scrolls. 

"Hello." The friendly naga said and gave a smile. "I hear you are here to exchange knowledge on magic. "My name is Irtho" He extended his hand. Odd. Luna saw it looked like he had cut short his claws.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Irtho, my name is Luna." She shook his hand and it was softer than she had expected. "Sorry if it's rude but can I ask why your claws appear to be cut."

"Not rude at all. If anything it proves you are supposed to be here. You made an observation and then you went to pursue an answer." Irtho looked at his lack of claws. "The claws while useful in some circumstances aren't useful to me. I am a scholar and the claws make it difficult to handle these scrolls with care. Between me and you I prefer them this way." Irtho smiled again but this time it felt more genuine. "Allow me to give you a tour of our facilities." Luna felt like she had passed a test.

They walked for a while and passed several rooms filled with young nagas being instructed by one older naga. "We separate our roles by different floors. This first floor stores our most precious resource. Our students. Every youth starts off as a student then based on what they excel at or have an interest in they go on from there. We provide them with a swath of knowledge." Luna's interest was piqued by what Irtho explained. It appeared every room was on a different subject. "If you would like your welcome to sit in on a class if you like but then the tour would come to an end. I'm on my way to provide these scrolls to the supreme one, Vava and I'd rather not keep him waiting."

"Oh it appears I've put you in an awkward spot. Would you prefer I come another time?" Luna asked.

"Not at all. In fact I believe this works out better. Vava prefers to hear these accounts first hand, this way no information gets lost. Now on our way too the second floor." Irtho slithered up what looked like a winding staircase. Well sans the stairs it was more like a ramp with a guard rail. The walls were an eggshell white. They seemed a bit plain. Maybe they preferred efficiency over art. Which was fine with Luna but it did make the tour feel longer. They arrived on the next floor. " This floor belongs to the scholars, Of which I am one." Irhto said proudly. These rooms were a bunch of shut doors. Luna wanted to say something but Irtho predicted what she would ask. "I know this part isn't much for the eyes but that's because this place mostly functions as a living quarters for the scholars. My room is at the end." He used a key and slid open the space to his room. It was a mess. Luna would have said something but if she had a living space it would probably look similar. It was scrolls and books stacked in piles upon piles and there sat what looked like a lamp.

"Forgive me. I wasn't expecting company." Irtho said as he bowed his head. If nagas could blush he surely would have.

"No worries I would probably have a similar looking place if I had one." Luna said and Irtho tried to read into her words. He decided he believed her. "I just worry that the lamp might be a bit of a fire hazard." A bit was an understatement, the whole room would become a conflagration.

"Oh this was something we invented." Irtho tapped the lamp and it lit with an ethereal glow lighting the room. Irtho gladly displayed his invention.

Luna practically tripped over herself trying to get a closer look. "Fascinating! How does it work?" Luna tried to observe it from all angles. "What did you sacrifice to make this magic. I didn't notice anything?"

Irtho smiled and pulled out the satchel from his waist. He placed it on the desk next to his lamp. "Well no use in discarding my claws if they can serve another function."

"Brilliant! Plus they will grow back giving you more resources." Luna smiled and Irtho smiled, sharing her enthusiasm. "Um I know it's not my place but would it be possible for me to get one of these?"

"Of course my friend. From one scholar to another." Irtho rifled around his room and found another lamp. Luna placed it in her satchel. "May I Ask what you plan on sacrificing so you may have light?"

"I was thinking my hair is the best. I have a lot of it just in case I need it and If I have too much I'll simply store it like you do." Luna smiled. Irtho smiled as well; he was clearly fascinated by her. 

"I worry we may have gotten a bit side tracked. Lets make our way to the next floor." Irtho said. They exited Irtho's room.  Then made their way to the next spiral ramp. "Oh and I forgot to explain what us scholar's role is. We scholars were those who excelled or had interest in certain subjects while students. I was top of my class in magic studies." Irtho puffed out his chest a bit. "So we go around the world trying to widen our scope of knowledge and then we return with our findings. I myself have just come back from a journey."

"Impressive. You do seem 'worldly' as they say." Luna said and Irtho took the compliment with a small grin.

They reached their next destination and could hear various grunting noises. "This floor belongs to our strikers. The two you met at the door are two of our finest." As they roamed the halls they saw various nagas in armor practicing with a staff and acting as if they were spears. They had moved in perfect unison. "Some students prefer not to become scholars and prefer to become strikers protecting our people. It's a very noble role. It's what allows me to do what I do." This tour was brief as they made their way to the next floor. "This is the last one. We will meet the Supreme one soon."

The wide ramp suddenly narrowed. Luna guessed they didn't want too many people meeting him at once. Luna was suddenly feeling nervous. She honestly didn't think this would go as smoothly as it did. Luna readied herself at least she had found a new Friend in Irtho.

"Worry not Luna the Supreme one can be intimidating but he is a scholar like we are. Let me provide some background. Vava is our greatest scholar. His wisdom knows no bounds. He also studied the field of magic. The supreme one has access to a special magic passed down from previous supreme ones. He also can act as a striker, but only when necessary. He is able to turn the tide of battle."

They entered the room and there atop a throne sat an Elder Naga, he had been covered in scars. Luna was surprised by his age. She had expected someone much younger. Although Irtho had mentioned his wisdom several times. 

"Oh supreme one, Vava I come bearing the fruit of my knowledge from my travels." He placed. The scrolls before him.

"I thank you for sharing your findings Irtho. Who is this you bring before me?" Vava asked as he stepped up and approached Luna. He stood before her tall and muscular. He sized her up. Luna felt like prey before a predator. She wouldn't back down. She met his gave and saw they looked youthful and curious.

"This is a fellow scholar Luna. We have become fast friends, she says she wishes to exchange magical knowledge." Irtho said with a smile.

"Very well Luna show me what you have found and if it is something I am unfamiliar with I shall show you something you hopefully are unfamiliar with." Vava said with a toothy grin.

Luna took off her satchel and took out several small vials containing red liquid. "Is there perhaps a training ground we can go to so I can show off what they do?"

"Yes , I have my own private training ground I use so I can practice my magic and combat." Vava said as he slithered towards a hidden chamber. Irtho seemed surprised, he probably hadn't been here before. Luna took this as a good sign. In the room were several training dummies each covered in claw marks and some had been cut cleanly. Luna wondered how that was done. "You may go ahead when you are ready."

Luna had tossed one of the vials her hand had lit up with a purple glow and then the vial glowed the same color. It landed on the training dummy and exploded loudly. Once the smoke cleared there was only ashes where it had once stood. Luna had looked to Vava and Irtho. Vava guffawed. Luna smiled.

"Incredible!" Vava's eyes sparked anew with youthful vigor. "What is this substance you place in these vials? Tell me, please! I must know!" 

"I use my blood. I can safely draw a set amount and then after some time I can draw more if I need to." Luna said proudly.

"Ah that would be why you have those markings on your arms." Vava said. Luna was usually insecure when people looked at her arms but she knew Vava had good intentions. 

"Correct. Now if you wouldn't mind showing me how you cut those dummies so cleanly. I know Naga claws are sharp and you are quite muscular but there should be some kind of splintering somewhere." Luna looked at the dummies from various angles.

"I see why you like her Irtho she has a scholarly mind as we do. Very well. I shall keep my word. Behold!" Vava moved ahead as he struck a pose his claws on either side of him. They emmited a golden energy and then he moved. He moved quick as lighting cleanly cutting his dummies in two.

Luna's jaw had dropped. "I haven't seen combat magic like this before. May I ask the sacrifice?"

"You may. I use some of my scales to boost the strength in my claws." Vava said proudly.

"Since we are exchanging information." Luna riffled through her satchel. She pulled out a beat up looking book, opened it and then quickly transferred the information to a new book. "Here you go, Supreme one." Luna presented the new book to Vava. He smiled and graciously accepted the gift.

"Thank you Luna. Now if I may. Would you mind if I wrote in that book you took the information from." Vava asked

"I would be honored, but no rifling through my notes. Remember this is an exchange and unfortunately I am on a bit of a time crunch. Hopefully in the future we can continue our exchange." Luna said as she handed the beat up book to him. Vava took the notebook and transferred his knowledge onto the pages. Luna saw his eyes flash again but thought nothing of it.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Luna. May I give you one more gift before we part ways." Vava returned to his room, as Irtho and Luna followed. He handed her what looked like an instrument. A flute perhaps. It did have a funny shape, a large rounded part that thinned out and then several holes , perhaps to place one's fingers.

"I thank you Supreme one. Unfortunately I am unsure how to play such an instrument. I am sorry." Luna apologized.

"I'd be surprised if you did. This instrument is older than I am, and I'm unsure if you have noticed but I am very old." Vava smiled. "What a joy it is to learn a new thing. It is a gift to an ally. Should you ever encounter any problems on your journey, sacrifice a bit of breath and a magic will activate and play a sound only nagas can hear. I will send out a team of strikers to aid you. I've also included some songs for merriment purposes, in your book."

Luna bowed. "I am most grateful to Supreme one Vava."

"I am also grateful to meet a scholar such as yourself. I'll have Irtho escort you outside the tower." Vava told Luna. "Afterwards Irtho return so we may discuss your findings." Vava told Irtho.

"Goodbye Supreme one Vava, may we meet again." Luna waved as she and Irtho made their exit.

"May we meet again Luna." Vava waved back.

Irtho lead Luna to the exit. They said their goodbyes and Luna gave Irtho a hug. Irtho made a shocked noise and then returned her hug. "I hope to see you again my friend Luna." Luna thought he sounded a little sad.

"I hope to see you again, my friend Irtho." Luna said and she felt a bit sad herself. She started to leave before she could cry. Yadi would definitely make fun of her calling her a crybaby. That thought made Luna smile. She made her way towards Oliver's base. In case she got lost she had a map in her notes. 

***

"Supreme one, may I ask you a question?" Irtho asked

"You may." Vava responded

"I enjoy Luna very much but why did you give her such a precious artifact?" Irtho said.

"It was an exchange of information was it not?" Vava said

"It was..." Irhto said

"Well while writing in Luna's book I discovered something interesting. It may answer a 20 year old mystery." Vava said.