Return of the Asuras |Lesbian Story| (The Sequel)

Chapter 19

Suddenly, like someone had whispered it in my ear, I remembered what the Hora said about my prophecy. At last, I understood what role I had to take.

My face turned to the dark prince again.

"Raksa, can you take me to your holy father?" I asked.

Everybody looked at me as if I was mad. Raksa looked hesitant with my request.

"Indeed I can," he said. "But no mortal who ever enters the Naraka shall return. It is a rule set by the Lord of Death himself."

I turned to the others who looked at me with concerns.

"It is my prophecy," I said. "I will have to go on otherworldly quests, enter a fire-lit realm where no living soul has ever gone. Now it's time for I have to go to hell."

The avatars sat frozen at my words.

"Nikita, are you sure you want to do this?" Tepi said.

"I have done otherworldly quests," I said. "I have been to heaven and the Naga realm. Now it seems the Netherworld is my final quest as mentioned in the prophecy."

People looked at each other and then they nodded.

In my mind, I could still remember pieces of the oracle's prediction.

'When ashes rain from the sky, the fate of the living and the dead depends on you.'

~*~

Raksa could bring only three people with him, so Tepi and Atith came along with us. We passed through the black mist, following him. Then when we glanced around, we realized we had entered the dark gloomy world of the dead.

Everywhere I looked was haunting empty darkness. Only a passage was lit by green-flamed torches. The son of Death walked us through floating cold fog. Then a huge iron gate appeared into view.

There, we saw people waiting by the great entrance. They were souls of the deceased. Their impassive faces flickered like candlelight as they moved forward. They looked like a black river flowing endlessly.

When we got closer, we realized that on either side of the giant gate were two colossal guardians. They stood hundreds of feet tall, watching over the souls. In their hands held a massive golden staff. The gatekeepers were so still, we could mistake them for statues. But when we approached the grand entrance, the Guardians of Hell moved with crashing sounds and swift steps to block our path.

"Stand off!" they growled with a fierce rusty voice that sent us chills of terror. "Only the dead shall pass the gate!"

Our heart almost leaped out of our chests, but Raksa raised his joined palms to greet them.

"I am the son of Yama. These are my friends," he said. "Please let us in. We have an important mission to meet my father."

We were relieved that the guardians recognized him and bowed away. Raksa motioned for us to follow him with a smile.

As we went past the entrance, we heard a hideous growling and the pounding of mighty paws. Then two gigantic black dogs with four eyes and wide nostrils leaped out. They were hellhounds that guarded the road to Yama's abode.

Atith screamed in a shrilling high-pitch voice.

"Monsters!"

He was about to swing his spear at the giant beasts when Raksa came to stop him.

"No! Fear them not, my friends," he reassured us. "These are the hounds that guard the Netherworld. They will do you no harm while I'm with you."

We watched the creatures jumping around, yapping in glee. Their tails wagged frantically and all their jaws widened with joy. Though the huge hellhounds seemed friendly enough; we still preferred to stand aloof. As Raksa was patting them, they lay down and closed their eight-eyes. Their long tongues lolled out and licked his hands and face.