Daughter of the Naga | Lesbian Story|

Chapter 87

When we emerged to the other side, we were no longer in the encampment. All around us was surrounded by tall dark moss-covered trees. Their branches grew and interlaced, shielding off the sunlight from all sides.

"We're already here?" I asked in astonishment. The tunnel closed itself again.

"I shrank the earth to shorten the distance," Tepi said to me. "The Holy Mother won't be pleased if I do that often. But this is a special circumstance."

"So where can we find Gajasimha?" Vorac said eagerly, staring at the thickness of the leafage around us.

"To know that we must first pay respect to my Mother," Tepi said.

We walked through the sandalwood and other flower trees. Everywhere I looked was shadowed and feathered with never-ending colossal plants with their giant leaves. The flowery bushes and evergreen were beautiful with a seducing luster. I was soon captivated by the hanging roots of the Banyans and the many cries of wild birds on their branches. This outlandish world of wildlife seemed to take my mind off my sorrows though temporarily.

As we hiked our way through the thick foliage, Tepi told me what contained inside this wilderness. She was raised here as a baby before the King's hunting band discovered her. The jungle was always graced with fruit and flowers like the mystical forest, Himavatta, which surrounded Mount Meru.

"It is also home to many mythical beasts," she said. "We must be cautious at all times."

Once or twice, I was lured by the sweet scent of a flower or the plumpness of a berry but was alerted to stay away from them.

"Some plants are poisonous, Nikita," Tepi told me. "One touch and your body will turn into fungi."

I shuddered at the thought.

At night, the darkness descended swiftly and all at once. My entire body began to ache. We had been walking for hours. But then we reached a break of the woods, a grove of sorts, half-encircled by a rocky outcrop. I looked at the sky and discovered a great constellation of stars beside a crescent moon.

In front of us was a mountain cave. There was a light shining from the inside. Tepi stopped suddenly, and we almost bumped into her. She turned to us with a smile.

"Come with me, my friends, and pay respect to the Earth Goddess."

We went closer to the cave. I was impressed by the beauty of the interior walls. It was not made of dark stone, but pale rose quartz. The crystal walls flickered beautifully against a small fire hearth. There was a simple rug of white silk on the smooth cave floor.

Then a shimmering light formed, and a woman appeared from the golden mist.

"Come forward, children," her melodious voice ripped through the silence. Just the sound of it caused my fatigue to dissolve.

I stared at the holy woman. The ruby hue on her cheeks brightened from the firelight. Encircled her hips was the blackness of her long flowing hair. Unlike other goddesses whom I had seen, she was wearing only a silk white sari and a garland of lotuses around her neck.

"Mother!" Tepi said and came to kneel before the woman, touching her head to the ground. Vorac and I got down on our knees as well.

"Blessed be, young ones," said the Lady of the Forest with a warm smile. Then I felt her eyes on me. I looked up to meet her compassionate stare. "Daughter of the Chaste Queen. Your presence delights me. Come closer."

Both my friends looked at me in confusion.

"Mother, this is Nikita, the Prophesied Child. She was sent to us by the gods," Tepi introduced me. "Now we are here in the hunt of the king of wild beasts, Gajasimha. The avatars have agreed upon a game to prove her quality as our leader. This is the final quest that we must succeed."