The captain had scarcely gotten the chance to dismiss Shinji from his tent before he was unnerved by an odd sight. From beneath the edges of the tent, billowing, dark blue smoke rolled in, obscuring the light of the moon. From the smoke, a figure materialized. They stood a full head taller than the captain, body trailing off into a long, sinuous tail where the legs should be.

The captain opened his mouth to utter a shocked exclamation, but was interrupted abruptly.

[color=00746b]"Before you ask, I'm not really here."[/color] the naga exposited, pinching the bridge of his nose with frustration. [color=00746b]"This is a sending. A magical means of communication. Understand?"[/color]

"Y- Yes. Of course." the captain stammered "Why are you using this? Are you not set to arrive in a matter of days?"

[color=00746b]"Ah, see. That's just the thing. My contingent is running slightly ahead of schedule. I would recommend that you prepare your men, as at the moment, we appear to be set to arrive around sunrise."[/color]

A cruel smile played across the naga's lipless face.

[color=00746b]"And when we arrive, we have a battle to plan for."[/color]

Without so much as another word, the naga disappeared back into the receding smoke, leaving the captain stressed and exhausted.

[@Flightless_Soul]