Daughter of the Naga

by Svetlana Ivanova

  I tried to force my heavy eyelids open and once I succeeded, the world spun around me in my blurry vision.

  After a while, a shadow brushed past my face, followed by cold silver light. I looked up to find the full moon, waxing and gradually casting its radiant glow again after the eclipse.

  As my eyes adjusted, I realized I was inside a stone structure. There was a huge rectangular hollow in the ceiling, big enough to show the view of the moonlit sky.

  For what seemed like a long time, I could do nothing but lay motionless on the cold ground. There wasn't an ounce of strength in my body as if I was paralyzed.

  An unfamiliar scent of burning incenses floated in the air. With a great effort, I was able to prop myself up. I rubbed my temple to clear the haze.

  Glancing around, I realized I was inside what seemed like an empty stone chamber. It was enclosed by four narrowed walls that joined together at the top. I felt as if I got stuck in a prison cell or some dark pit. The soreness on my back caused me to flinch as I staggered onto my feet. The cold silver light shone over the raised floral carvings to reveal figures of gods and goddesses on the stone walls, but there was no exit anywhere.

  Where is this place? I thought.

  "Hello!? Dad! Dr. Ivan! I'm stuck down here. Anyone hear me up there?" I cried, my voice bounced off the walls. I called to them again and again but it seemed there was nobody at the top.

  Obviously, I had to get out and find my Dad. I wondered what had happened to our archaeological team and the robbers. It was such a nasty storm as I recalled.

  With another moan, I dragged myself off the stone floor. My hand found my brown satchel dangling from my shoulder as always. I stumbled my way to one of the walls and looked around again.

  There were still no doors or windows, not even a hole my size that I could squeeze through, except the one at the top. But I was no Lara Croft. How was I going to get out of this hell hole?

  But I noticed there were seven stages topping each other like a giant staircase. I only had to climb one step at a time.

  "Okay, let's pretend it's like going rock-climbing, Nikita," I said to myself. I had done that a few times with Dad and two years in Girl Scout should be able to help me survive this.

  I took a deep breath and rubbed my hands together to summon my strength. Then I put my foot in the gap between the stones and pushed myself up. I felt my way cautiously and got past the first step after a painstaking while later.

  "Oh well," I breathed. "One down, six to go."

  The next steps were harder since space started to narrow towards the top. I lost my footing twice but managed to cling onto the stone. By now, my fingernails were successfully ruined. My hiking pants got torn up, and my knees had burning scratches.

  By the fourth step, I took a short break and sat down. My lungs almost burst from the labored breathing. The aches in my back and shoulders worsened. I wondered if I would die here. This was just too much for a seventeen-and-a-half-year-old girl to go through.

  The light from the outside world started changing shades once the moon drifted away. As darkness slowly disappeared, a slight hint of hope surged in my heart again. I couldn't give up just yet. I rose to my feet one more time and continued my journey up to my freedom.

  "How could people build such a thing and didn't make an exit? Were they thinking of a sacrificing pit or what?" I muttered to myself. And with a little strength from my anger, I pushed myself harder and harder until my hands reached the last sandstone.

  At last, I was able to hook my arms over the edge of the opening and pulled myself out of the pit. Thank goodness, I was light for my own sake, otherwise, I might have fallen to my death.

  Once I crawled out, my mind whirled in exhaustion. I dropped to the floor and for a long moment, I just lay down and breathed, thanking myself for being alive after all. But how did I end up here in the first place? The questions still haunted me.

  When the first light of dawn broke, I managed to sit up and looked around again. Nothing seemed familiar to my eyes. No tents, no Dad, or Dr. Ivan. All I saw were the treetops. Behind me was a giant Lingam made of bronze —the symbol of Shiva, another Hindu god my Dad had told me. There were fire torches burning brightly over the surrounding stones. Four sculpted lions stood guarding each corner of this strange tower-like building.

  I had no idea how that could be possible, but I was somewhere high above the ground and everything appeared quite new yet very ancient at the same time. I remembered the intricate carved patterns on the walls of the pit. They also looked fresh and sparkling.

  From where I sat, I could see sugar palm trees and forest around the area.

  Since I didn't trust my balance yet, I decided to crawl on all four towards the edge. Maybe I could call for help from up here. But then I witnessed the thing that no sane person could imagine. My jaw dropped at the sight.

  "Oh. My. God," I breathed, eyes taking in miles after miles of vast areas below.

  Sprawling before me was a colossal city, showing hundreds, if not thousands of wooden settlements, gardens, man-made ponds, roads, and urban blocks. They were organized into a solid metropolitan glamor with stunning stone temples, shrines and giant water reservoirs and canals crisscrossing around the farmlands.

  I was speechless.

  The building underneath me was actually a seven-tier pyramid, rising high above the plains. It shaped like a Mayan temple. As I inspected the details some more, I recognized it from our tour guide book as the Prang Temple of Koh Ker —a temple for sacrifice.

  Now stranded on a newer version of this pyramid temple, I had a hard time explaining myself whether it was a dream or reality.

  "No freaking way," I murmured, staggering back to my feet. "This is a dream —I know it. Definitely a dream —yes —what else could that be? That's alright, Nikita, you're fine. No panicking! You're going to wake up in no time."

  And to prove it, I pinched myself. It hurt.

  "Right, a dream," I said, trying to suppress the panic chill in my bones, yet my state of hallucination was too surreal.

  "Dad, where are you?" I whimpered. My throat tightened. "Help me!"

  The sun began to rise over the summit of a mountain range far away. The light slowly illuminated the city, which was still there even after I blinked several times. I could see the smokes rising from the nearby villages.

  At last, I backed away from the view in a daze and sat down with my back against the bronze Lingam statue.

  "No, this can't be happening to me," I muttered, hugging my knees like a crazy person.

  Then memories started pouring into my mind: the Moonstone, the ancient spiral, and the lunar eclipse. And here I was in the pit of a pyramid temple, not to mention being stuck in a strange city and worse —probably in a different time.

  CHAPTER 5

  After the shock wore off, an untimely hunger made my stomach growl. I noticed there were golden platters of fruit set before the Lingam statue. I crawled towards the goodies and inhaled the sweet-scented lotuses. The fresh fragrance relaxed me a little, and I helped myself with the juicy fruit. I guess if I were going to die here, I might as well die with my stomach full.

  After my hunger subsided, I shoved some ripe bananas and other odd fruit that looked like apricots into my brown bag. My ears caught a faint sound of faraway footsteps. Some rushing movements and voices came from the base of the temple.

  I quickly got up and took a peek to the ground. From the main staircase leading up to the top, a troop of shirtless men climbed the steep stairs. They wore red silk clothes around their waists. Some of them wore golden collars and belts around their bodies. In their hands were long sharp spears and swords. I wiped my mouth of the juices and turned back with wide eyes.

  Oh no, people are coming! What am I going to do?

  My eyes darted for a good hiding place but found none. The fear of getting caught stealing the offerings scared me senseless.

  Then about ten bulky brown men appeared at the top at last.
They looked like ancient soldiers. Four of them dressed in white silk robes with sewn bags hanging from their shoulders. But by then, I had dove behind the giant Lingam to hide.

  "Master! I swear I did see a brilliant light coming from the sky,!" I heard one of them spoke.

  "Are you sure you're not mistaken?" the other man sounded astonished.

  I frowned and then I remembered what happened. I got pulled towards the eclipse by the light of the Moonstone —that must be what they saw.

  But then I covered a gasp of realization with my hand. Oh my god, I could understand them! I was pretty sure they didn't speak English, and I didn't know ancient Khmer or Sanskrit, but now every word made sense in my head as if I was born with it.

  I sneaked a peek at them from behind the pillar-like statue. Another older man followed up to the top. He had trouble catching his breath. They helped him walking towards the statue. He seemed rather important. He dressed in pure white. Four of them had long gray hair pulled up in a bun. The rest of the soldiers waited by the temple's steps, guarding.

  "Yes, master, I swear over the Lingam of Lord Shiva," the same man said with vehemence. "I was fully awake when I witnessed a huge column of brightness descended from heavens!"

  "Good lord, this is a good sign!" the old man breathed. "We must pray to thank the Lord."

  While I was lost in my thoughts, a betraying apricot rolled out of my satchel and bounced away. I squeezed my eyes shut in despair.

  "Who's there?" a harsh voice yelled out.

  I was trembling when a pair of strong hands grabbed my shoulders and pulled me out of my hiding place. I flinched and struggled against their grips.

  "Why on earth is there a girl on the temple?" said one of the white-robbed men as everybody stared at me in bewilderment.

  The oldest man came forward and scrutinized me under his intense gaze. He looked at my face and then rubbed his wrinkled eyes as if to get a better look at me.

  Then his mouth fell open and the color drained off his face. He almost looked frightened. The old man stepped back, causing the others to do the same.

  "Tell me, young one, how did you get here?" the old man asked.

  "I...I...er...don't know," I stuttered. "Please, let me go. I didn't mean to steal the fruit. I just woke up in the pit down there and had to climb my way back then I got hungry..."

  "O blessed heavens! Now we will sing a hymn to praise the Lord for his holy answer!" the old man turned to say.

  "What?" I froze in confusion.

  The soldiers released me then the white-robed elders came forth. They turned to the bronze Lingam and kneeled before it. Others followed suit. They put their palms together and bowed their heads to the floor.

  The four elders then pulled out their white conchs from the bags and started blowing a long note. The humming sounds echoed through the morning sky. The sensation caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand. They blew the conchs three times before they started chanting a hymn in unison.

  'O Lord Shiva,

  Lord of Pasus or Jivas,

  O Blue-necked Lord,

  The Destroyer of Daksha's sacrifice,

  The Beloved of Uma,

  The Five-faced Isvara,

  Holder of Trident,

  Swallower of Poison,

  Through Thy Grace,

  I realized Oneness with Thee.'

  Once they finished, I felt an icy chill running through my veins. As I stared at them, one of the white-robed elders came to whisper something into the oldest man's ear. They nodded in some sort of agreement and turned to me again.

  "We are obliged to escort Your Holiness from here."

  "My Holi...what?"

  "We promise there shall be no harm done unto you," the frail old man reassured, smiling at me with his crooked and blackened teeth. "The next Parasurama, Protector of the Creation, is now sent to us from heavens. This is a fortunate time. This is the greatest hope of all hopes!"

  "Wait...what?" I said again with a screwed face. "What are you all talking about? Who are you, people?"

  "We are the Brahmin priests from the Palace of King Jayavarman."

  "Excuse me?" I said, still unable to understand what was going on.

  "Once you come with us, you will understand."

  I didn't know how to respond, but it also seemed like there was nowhere else I could go. I couldn't make this temple my second home either. I would explain to them later that they were in some sort of religious delusion.

  "So if I agree to go with you, will I have these fruit to eat?" I asked.

  "You shall be offered so much more, Your Holiness."

  "Well...then...okay," I said with a shrug. I was too tired to make sense of anything anymore.

  "What is 'okay'?" one of them asked.

  "Oh —okay is okay —you know—" I tried to explain. Maybe some modern words hadn't been successfully converted to their ancient tongue yet. "I meant, yes, I'll go with you.'"

  They escorted me down from the top of the pyramid. I glanced around at everything as I walked past by. There were manicured gardens and trees dotting all around the moat that bordering the seven-tier temple. Everything was laid by blocks of stones. A walkway rolled out between two rows of curved pillars and massive statues of animal guardians.

  We walked through the stone path. From a distance, I could see a horde of guards stood beside a row of ox-drawn carts parking at the entrance.

  "Where are you taking me?" I asked one of elder men. None of them answered. They just gestured to me to get into one of the wooden-wheeled wagons. There was no one inside. I looked through the small window and watched those men whispering to each other before they, too, boarded another wagon. Then we started moving.

  An hour later, we arrived at what looked like a beautiful village. Each wooden house was built high above the ground with fine wood art and red tiled roofs. We passed an impressive entrance made of pink sandstone with carvings that were encased in gold.

  On the east side of the small village was an enormous open-air pavilion. It had four rectangular porches like a courtroom. About eight wooden buildings with numerous pillars clustered around the area. Their gardens were full of jasmine flowers and their ponds bloomed with pink lotuses.

  After the guards and high priests led me through the golden entrance, we walked up the grand pavilion, passing many halls.

  Once the maids saw us, they quickly kneeled down and bowed in respect at the priests. But the women murmuring something to each other as they looked at me. I blushed in embarrassment.

  Some of the halls looked like a meditation or prayer room filled with statues of the gods and goddesses. I could see people sitting in their lotus positions and some chanted the mantra with their hands clasped together. Incense smoke was thick in the air. This felt like a religious place.

  "Your chamber will be this way," the oldest priest said to me. "I believe Your Holiness would want to take some rest after a long journey."

  "Oh, thank you," I said.

  "We shall see you again at the Main House with the Hora."

  "The Hora?"

  "The Oracle."

  CHAPTER 6

  Walking along a cruciform gallery that separated the courtyards, the Brahmin priests took me to a different house set aloof from the others. It had a portico overlooking a lovely garden and a pristine lotus pond.

  We stopped at an intricately carved door flanked by golden colonnettes. I stared at everything, from the wooden triangular of decorative pictures over an entrance to the gold-painted lintels and arches. The guards pushed the massive wooden doors open. The light of the oil lamps shone from the inside.

  "We have prepared a special chamber for you."

  "Oh wow!" I breathed. "Are you sure I can stay here?"

  "Yes, this is called 'Damnak Chandra', the Moon Chamber," one of them told me.

  I was impressed when we entered the enormous room.

  "If you need anything, there are palace maids to tend to your needs at all times, Your Ho
liness."

  "Please, don't call me that," I said. "I'm not holy or anything. Just call me Nikita."

  They all gasped with a look of shock then glanced at each other nervously.

  "The name of the holy being is not to be spoken carelessly," the Brahmins said with a bow.

  "I told you I'm not..."

  "You must be very tired. Once the Hora arrives from the capital, we will inform you. Now you may rest."

  Then the priests bowed again and turned away, shutting the heavy doors behind them as they left. At least, I had a place to stay for the night. The house was beautiful and made entirely of fine wood. I found its exquisite bedroom at the far side separated by silk curtains. The smooth floorboards were almost too slippery to walk on. A woven rug spread at the center with silk-cased cushions. I already felt relaxed just by looking at my surrounding.

  The evening air blew through the open windows. The curtains flicked rhythmically as I wandered about the chamber in silence.

  "May I have the honor to assist you?" A soft gentle voice floated to my ears. I jumped up and turned around to find a young maiden appeared almost out of thin air. She came forward and bowed at me. I stared blankly at her. She was adorned in a long silk robe folded meticulously around her small frame. Her strange elegant jewelry sparkled in her flowing black hair under the light.

  "Who are you?" I asked with a raised brow.

  "I am Kesar, my lady," she said with a smile. "I am your handmaiden assigned to be at your service."

  "Oh, that's fine, really," I said. "I don't need anyone to help me."

  "But it's my duty to look after you, my lady," Kesar said again. "I can't disobey the order."

  "Oh?"

  "The whole kingdom has been waiting for you for a long time," she simply said. "Our noble King and Queens had prayed to the gods for a miracle. They will be rejoiced to learn about your divine arrival."

  "No, there's something you have mistaken there," I tried to explain this confused woman. "I just woke up in the pit of a pyramid last morning and found myself in this strange city. I don't know what is going on or what year it is, and on top of that, I haven't had a bath yet."