The Eighth Immortal

Chapter Seven : The Other Side ( Part 1)

Kiara's P.O.V.

A tear slid down my cheek just as he stomped out of the room, I flinched as the door closed with a lound bang. I sagged down on my chair, my face now wet by silent tears. Tears that were trapped inside me for years, came streaming down my face. Its good he decided to leave the room or I would have given away my facade. Sometimes, I really curse myself for making him suffer, for leaving him alone and the pain that his eyes reflect, it kills me from inside. All these days I have tried to drive him away from me, to force him off my life with every means imaginable but the truth is that even after two years of pushing him away I still long for him. I long for the trust that he placed in me, for the comfort that his company provided and for the friendship or even love that blossomed between us. But my responsibilities demanded that he remained away for me, the organisation is a part of me and with the powers that I have, it was in best interest for both of us that we seperated our ways.

I still remember the day I was told to drive him away from me, it was a week before my fifteenth birthday when like every other vacation, mom took me to one of her archaeological expeditions. She's one of the foremost archaeologists of the country, so I was not much surprised when we entered the recently unearthed temple ruins of mount Mandara. Mind you, I have been to almost every ancient ruin in India and neighbouring countries including Kalibangan, Harappa, Vijaynagara and even Angkor Wat. It was all usual till we entered a cave, I don't know why but to me the cave kind of stood out, like it contained something special. The carvings on walls, the archways and sculptures were breathtakingly detailed and covered almost every inch of the corridors. As we went in further, more and more lifesize images of Gods, humans, Nagas and other tribes of Hindu mythology came into view. Prominent being Naga images, it looked like this place belonged to them. Nagas were the Rigvedic hindu tribe said to be half humans and half serpents, sort of like were-serpents, these creatures were sometimes depicted as fully human or dragon like serpents with huge fangs, beautiful mesmerising eyes and a diamond studded in their forehead. Also, in numerous paintings they were potrayed as having upper body of a human and the lower body of a serpent. Folk tales about them exist throughout India, they are often said to be ferocious yet intellectual beings with enormous strength and poision that could kill within mere moments. This place looked like it was built by and for those creatures.

"What is this place ?", I asked my mother.

"Isn't it beautiful ! This place was uncovered around 18 years ago by my team, its what's left of caves of Mt. Mandara. The folk tales tell that this place was once ruled by the serpent chieftain Takshak. Under his rule this place was said to be studded with jewels that were finest in all realms."

"But if you did find this place before why haven't any newspaper, newschannel or any media covered it yet ? "

"This place was not only a jackpot for archaeologists, but also a jackpot in real sense as massive amount for gold was unearthed from this place. Fearing the local smugglers and mafia, this news was kept secret and the idols and gems were transported to a secret facility. Moreover, I have spent almost all my youth days here and I don't want this peaceful place to be turned into a tourist destination. The serenity this place offers to me is unparalleled."

"Observe closely and you'll see that this place was evacuated in a rush." she continued," As the folk tale goes, the serpent king, Takshak was approached by Seven Immortals and was asked to join them in their drive to safeguard the Elixir of Immortality. The king was forced to accept this proposal as he was bound by life to the Immortals. The Seven had saved him from a fire sacrifice in which several of Nagas were killed, including the king's own family."

"Why only Takshak ?" I asked, intrigued by the story.

"Takshak was one of the most powerful Raja Naga or Naga chiefs, his venom was said to be so lethal that even the Gods dreaded it. He was fierce and vengeful yet esteemed in all warfare skills and a man of words. Devoid of its chieftain and left in the hands of inefficient ministers the city was in turmoil as invaders attacked and plundered it. The Naga tribe fled and was never heared of again."

 "I wonder where these guys could have taken asylum." I voiced my thoughts.

"Who know, they might still be among us and we'll never get a trace of them, for they were masters in shapeshifting."

"Shapeshifting ? Yeah, our neighbour could be a Naga. She's ferocious." I joked.

"That's how the folk-tale goes anyways." she said smiling at me.

Soon after that, as the sky was painted red by dusk, we trecked our way to a tribal village, where the base camp was located. 

The village was nothing less than a cultural bounty for me. Though I didn't knew even a single one of its residents or even their lingual, everyone I came across offered me a warm smile. The huts were smeared with natural colors, each speaking a tale of its own and though the only source of light were oil lamps and a limited supply of emergency torches yet the darkness here was not overwhelming. Rather, it offered me peace or maybe, this was the kind of solace seeking which my mom first explored this place. 

Gathered around a large bonfire that night, we gazed at the diamonds studded in sky. The fire itself danced to incantations of the tribal priest, crackling as if trying to sing along with him. And before I knew, I was lost in the aura around me. My soul now knew no bounds, my vision was no more bounded to this world and my heart thumped along with the beats off drums. I don't know what it feels to be on drugs but if it's anything like letting go of self and alleviating to a new reality, then I was high on my mind that night.

That night I danced, sang and lastly fell asleep to lyrical tales of the Nagas. 

That night I came to discover the most imortant part of my life, that night I discovered that the only thing certain is uncertainity.

As it was that fateful night I met the sole heir to the Naga throne, which as the events unfolded was me !

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Cliffhanger !!!!

Sorry for awfully late update guys but am really stuck with writer's block and i know this isn't really that awesome chapter too. So, bear with me :D

next upload soon XD

--Klashnikov14