Isfe was restless. Her heart tells her that something was wrong. After coming back from visiting her prisoners, Isfe was feeling jittery. She went to her underground chamber in her house where she had her secret stashed safely in the ice enclosure. She carefully examined every inch of the underground chamber to see if anything was changed. But no! Everything is just the same as it was for many centuries now.
“Pamba!” She called and a long snake slithered its way to her feet. “Did anyone go into the forbidden forest? Did you see Maaya? Remember, she is the one that banished you into this hell hole. Tell me, did she visit the forbidden forest and the crystal cove?” She asked the snake.
“Ssss!” The snake hissed, transforming into a beautiful woman. Pamba is an ichadhari snake. Just like Aira, Isfe took care of Pamba and in turn, Pamba was ordered to keep watch for the prisoners and the forbidden forest. If anyone trespasses, Pamba informs Isfe. That was how Isfe was able to keep the forest forbidden for a very long time now. Whoever trespassed were killed by Isfe and told the villagers that the forbidden forest killed them, thus instilling fear in people. People killed in the forbidden forest will not get a proper send off. They were taken out of the tornado and were left there out on the cold ice. People there believed that the soul will never rest in peace until the physical body gets a proper send off. So people feared entering the forbidden forest.
“Nobody came to the cave!” Pamba told her.
“Are you sure? Then why did Netra leave all of a sudden?”
“She didn't come into the forbidden forest but I heard from the birds that she fell into the water pond and came out only after a long time.”
“Water pond?” Isfe whispered. “I will see to it.” She sent Pamba away and went up to her hut.
“Giza!” She called for him and Giza came into her hut, bowing to her.
“Yes, leader!”
“Why didn't you tell me that Netra fell in the pond?”
“Princess asked me not to tell you. She said she didn't want you to worry about her.”
“Did she tell you about anything or anyone that she met underwater?”
“No, leader.”
“Get in the pond, see if there is any evidence that would suggest that she met someone underwater. There is something not settling, Giza. Netra is in danger. We have to save her. She is the savior of this galaxy. We need her. I need her.”
“I will see to it,” Giza told her and ran out to the water pond. Giza took three other men from his village and swam through the dark waters. They could see nothing except for some glows here and there made by little fishes. They swam in different directions and as Giza swam to the eastern side he saw one of his men’s glowing-stick. He swam back towards the stick.
“Jitha, what do you see?” Giza asked him, stepping in the cave.
“Look here, this particular place is cleared of any poking crystals and see, the surface is smoothened.” Jithan showed Giza the insides of the cave with his glow stick. The walls of the cave have paintings of merpeople in glory and joy.
“Someone has done it for the princess. Just like our leader suspected, the princess has met someone here.”
“What are we going to do? What are these creatures looking like half human and half fish?”
“I don't know. Search more. Find out if you get anything more.” Giza told him and went out to the eastern side to continue his search. He was astonished to see the moonlight at the end of the pond. He swam towards it and was shocked to see a tunnel leading to the surface. He was too big for the tunnel but he was so sure that the opening was certainly outside the tornado wall.
