Daughter of the Naga

by Svetlana Ivanova

  Kemira brushed her cheek against my own. I felt as if there was a burning fire in my body.

  "Why, my lady...why do you do this? Why me?" I said. "I am nothing but a mortal being, but you're of a superior race!"

  "There is no reason," Kemira said in a passionate sigh. "But I must tell you that I have been watchful of you since you first arrived. You have those big curious eyes that lit up like the rising sun. Every sight of our world delighted you and amazed you. You captured my attention. Once you tried in vain to open the false doors that were painted ones. Twice you fell into a pond, mistaken it for a transparent floor. You made me laugh. I also charmed by your laughter and displeased when I saw you playing with those flirty maidens in the Nandana Garden. You humored them with their silly games and left me longing to join. Your imperfection fascinates me, O bless you dear girl, you make my heart pound again with just petty things!"

  As she spoke, her voice sent sweet luring melodies to my ears.

  It captivated my soul like music to a dancer. I slowly turned to face her. Her chest was rising and falling, evidencing her excitement as our eyes met. Her flowing hair cascaded gloriously down her lithe body and her shapely hips.

  "But I have a partner already. She is a princess and the owner of my heart," I said in a whisper. "She's waiting for me to go back to earth. Please, my lady, stop tempting me."

  "Remember no more of your earthly lover," Kemira said with a shake of her head. "The morals that bind mortal women do not bind me. I am free to choose the mate I want. I desire you and must lie with you. This is how I want us to be."

  "No, please, this is wrong!" I cried and shook my head. "I can't betray Amarisa for you! I love her!"

  Kemira frowned disapprovingly.

  "Love? What is love to a goddess? It's nothing but an impure disturbance of one's mind! I will get what a goddess always gets. The last time a warrior denied one of our maidens' passions, he got turned into a eunuch for a year. And let me tell you that a goddess's curses are far more fatal!"

  "Oh no, please have mercy," I pleaded. "I'm just a girl, who got washed up on the shore of your heaven. I have nothing to please you."

  Kemira laughed again and brought her delicate hand to my chin, turning my face to her. Her pink plump lips parted seductively, inviting me.

  "You will do as I say," she said, her eyes bore into mine.

  I opened my mouth to protest, but my tongue felt like a stone in my mouth. The sight of her navel alone sent a tingling pleasure down my spine. My whole body trembled for this divine woman.

  "No, no..." I tried to speak.

  Kemira, the daughter of the King of Gods, then joined her hot yearning mouth with mine, urging me to taste her back with her tongue. I was determined to resist her charm, but she was stronger with her celestial enchantment. What chance did I have against this sharp seduction of a goddess? Her soft cold hands roamed my body, turning my bones to ashes and my blood to flames.

  She enveloped me with her wanton needs and nakedness. The feeling was so much sweeter than the holy drink I had drunk the night before. It left ample evidence upon my body, a blissful sensation that rid my mind of any memory on earth. I had forgotten my quest, my friends, and most importantly, Amarisa, my beloved princess. She had vanished from my thought like the last drop of water slipping off the edge of a lotus leaf. Everything I had carried with me from my worlds began to dissipate.

  "You have to join with me, O ill-fated one," the goddess whispered softly in my ear, "so that you could unclog the flow of your destiny and go on the heroic path you were born to take."

  I paid no mind to the enigma of her riddle. I was too aroused and lost in her heavenly form to hear any words, not even my own thoughts. With waking desire of my own, I rose from the bed and took one of her rosy nipples in my warm craving mouth. She clutched me against her breasts with pure delight.

  And as my clothes magically disappeared, our bodies entwined in pleasure. Our moans echoed in the chamber. That night I made love to the goddess, but at the same time, in the beginning, middle and end of our climax, my self-worth had also sunk deeper and deeper to nothingness.

  CHAPTER 39

  Though wrapped warmly in the arms of the celestial woman, my regret still weighed more heavily in my heart. I had broken the rule — the unwritten one. It might mean nothing for the gods but not for us, mortals. How could Amarisa forgive me if she knew I was now in bed with another woman, a goddess no less? Thinking of my beautiful princess on earth, my heart constricted with pain. I wanted to cry and curse myself for what I had done.

  "Don't despair, my dearest, there is nothing you can do," the goddess spoke softly as if she knew what was taunting me. Her hand stroked my hair and rubbed my naked back.

  "How could I not be?" I said in a scratchy tone. "I should have resisted you."

  "Nonsense! Not even a god could resist a Devi like me," she said. "You think so highly of yourself, young lass."

  "But I am the worst human being to commit such unspeakable sin," I said.

  "Even the greatest warriors are not perfect," Kemira said. "Lord Krishna had charmed his way into the hearts of numerous women. He had more than a hundred wives in his court alone! Arjuna took comfort in his many consorts, too. Why would our sexual pleasure be deemed immoral when men did exactly the same?"

  "You don't understand what love means in my world, goddess. Humans are not like gods," I said again. "I should have been more faithful like Rama to Sita."

  "Stop comparing yourself to others, Nikita," she said. "The heart itself is untamed. Love and lust are its weakness and its strength."

  "I have betrayed my princess. She will be livid," I said gravely. "I can't live with this guilt. Goddess, if you have mercy left, please plunge me out of your heaven gate and let me fall to my death!"

  Kemira burst out laughing. The sound of her laughter echoed like a song. It only eased my guilt-ridden heart for a moment and soon the guilt came back again ten folds.

  "You are still the same, still naive and easily swayed by emotions," the goddess said. "These might be your lifelong flaws. I was hoping to change that somewhat, but it seems I have failed. As for your guilt, it shall do you no good for we are merely pawns in the game of Fate. Our coupling was well intended. In time, you will let go of your regret and learn to accept the nature of your destiny."

  I rose from the bed and sat up. My eyes stared at the face of surpassing loveliness of the Heaven Lord's daughter. Kemira smiled back sweetly as she began to rise, too. The goddess reached over and brushed a strand of hair from my face. Her nakedness was half hidden under the fleece cover.

  "Tell me, my lady, why did you come to me and demand that we share each other's passion?" I asked. "I knew it was not because I fell into a pond."

  The goddess giggled, but then she heaved a low sigh and dropped her gaze from me.

  "If you must know to end the blame upon your innocent mind, my lovely one, I will tell you the truth now and at once," she said. "My advancement, with sheer passion aside, was meant to purify you. Your injury made you unfit for the quests that have been laid before you. All your seven chakras were too weak. King Father and the other immortals know of your story. You're the Queen's daughter and the Child of the Great Prophecy. You're the one who bears the mark of the glorious Moon and wielder of the Cursed Blade. You will face greater dangers than anything known to mortals. And that, my dear, is why you need me here."

  "Your father made you do this? Is this what the Heaven Lord has been scheming all along? To bring me here and pollute my mind?" I said, feeling a mild anger that started to spark from my inside. The Devi gave me a glare that sent a shiver through my uncovered body. I had to remind myself that it was a goddess I was speaking to.

  "I saved you from your suffering, young lady," she said. "Without my cleansing, you wouldn't be able to go back to earth, much less see your beloved woman. Without what happened between us, your earth-bound body would disintegrate into powdery dust. I must bind you to my divinity. Th
is itself is a seal of holy protection. Those who have been touched by a goddess shall be forever blessed."

  I sat mute and still. Of course, I was always reminded of my quests and destiny. I had been warned about all that, but the more I discovered the inner working of my fate, the more it frightened me and frustrated me.

  "Is it true then?" I spoke again. "I am destined to be a sacrifice?"

  The goddess nodded.

  "What if I won't go to war?" I said. "What if I don't take the Moonsword? I promise Amarisa that I won't leave her."

  Kemira shook her head in pity. The Devi then came forward and gathered me into her arms again. The rushing pleasure washed over me like an autumn breeze. I buried my face into the softness of her bosom. The goddess planted a kiss on my head.

  "O beloved girl of heaven," she said and sighed. "What if I tell you, your promise can be broken because of the same person you gave it to?"

  "What do you mean, my lady?" I said, staring up at her face. The goddess smiled again and laid us back onto the bed.

  "Time can tell you better than I could," Kemira said. "For now, my sweet earthling, you must spend your time wisely with me."

  She kissed me passionately, drawing away all my guilt and shame once again.

  ~*~

  Since then the Devi came to my chamber every night. She persuaded me to stay longer but would not discuss the matter I longed to hear. Our unholy affair continued. Though I found myself enjoying the goddess, I knew it was beyond forgiving and my time in heaven was overdue.

  When I decided to leave this celestial land and wished to go back, the King of Gods summoned me to him.

  The long walk up the endless sparkling throne room was in silence. Once I reached the very front, I knelt on the pearly floor. A thunder cracked over the magical ceiling then the King of Heaven came into form.

  I felt strange for there was only me in the hall.

  This time I had a chance to notice the god's appearance more clearly. Sitting on his golden throne, Indra, the ruler of all Devas, was alone. He looked at me with his glowing godly eyes.

  His fine reddish face was too splendid that I couldn't bring myself to look. When he spoke, his voice rose from the center of his chest with glorious strength.

  "Come closer to me, young one," Indra said. The graceful movements of his scepter would put all kings on earth to shame. "I heard that you wish to leave."

  "Yes, that is true, my lord. I thank you for your hospitality during my stay," I said with a bow and joined palms. "I must head back to earth today as it has been too long since I was gone."

  "I understand," the King-God said. "You have a quest that should not be neglected. But before you leave the Gate of Heaven, let me narrate you a story."

  I was confused. Why did Indra choose this time for story-telling? The god then waved his scepter in the air, causing a veil of darkness to descend into the hall. It felt like I was in a dark pit all alone.

  "What is happening?" I gasped. I could barely see myself.

  Suddenly, the ambiance around me lighted up again, but I was no longer standing in the throne hall.

  All around me was a field of flowers blooming and the deep blue sky. Sunshine was everywhere. It was heaven itself, and I was an observer.

  All was peaceful in the realm of gods.

  They were enjoying their nectar and watching the celestial dancers as they moved in harmony to the song and music. They figured it would go on forever like this.

  But then the blessed field was gone and the sky trembled. The arrogant gods noticed that their garlands were beginning to fade from their necks. Their forms started to shrink smaller and smaller.

  They soon heard loud crashing noises coming from a distance until it got through the gates of heaven. Out of nowhere the Asuras, the enemy of the Devas cried out their attack.

  Waves upon waves of giant gray demons began their assault upon the gate with weapons of fire and thunder. The gods began to panic. Their minds began to accept defeat and cowardice.

  Their leader, Indra himself, tried to make them regain their confidence. As the true ruler of the glorious heaven, he led them into battle, but it was futile and too late to rally the force.

  The gods began to flee and the battle was lost in shame. The new cosmic cycle was soon to begin in which the demons would rule heaven.

  The immortals left their celestial home. Humiliated by the victorious enemy, they wandered the earth as mere mortals. The demon hordes thus occupied Amaravati. The new conquerors then began a cycle of cruelty and oppression.

  Palaces and sacred gardens were burned to ashes. Rivers and oceans dried up with no sight of living things. The celestial dancers and court attendants became their slaves for eternity. Heaven now was a gloomy abode of darkness and fear.

  From thereon, the triumphant Asuras expanded their conquest to earth and other worlds. Their rule of tyranny lasted for eons upon eons.

  The vision then stirred up a dark future of mankind. Man was becoming monstrous and evil. His trees became spikes and his fields turned to stones. Swelling with pride, man built something so loathsome he had to look away while he was making it.

  I saw the coming of a new age, where tyrannous men ruled over a viciously broken world. Puny, fearful, hard men lived tiny lives and had white hair at sixteen. The crops dried up, trees uprooted. There were no more flowers, no more purity, only ambitions, and corruptions. It was the age of Kali, the darkest of dark times.

  I was so horrified by it that I wept. Then the veil of darkness disappeared, leaving me pale and glittering eyes. I felt like I had just experienced the sorrow and grief of the whole humanity.

  The hall became bright again. Indra remained seated on his throne like nothing had changed and gone.

  "Lord...what did you just show me?" my voice trembled.

  "Child," Indra spoke, drawing my dazed eyes to him. "What you have witnessed is neither a dream nor an illusion. It is your future. A reality that is bound to happen."

  "My...my future?" I stuttered.

  "Hear my words with all your heart, dear one, for I must say only once," the god continued. "Long ago, we, the gods were once known as Suras, half-brothers of the Asuras. They are older than us. After the Great Churning of the Ocean of Milk, our relationship turned sour. Since time immemorial, the demons waged war against the immortals. Their powers and knowledge are the greatest threat. Now they wish to sack the Holy City belonged to the children of ours. You must conquer this war, or the demons will not let peace prevail."

  "But why the Holy City?" I asked.

  "Of all the inhabited cities under the sun and stars of my heaven, there is none that the gods are more fond of as the one where people's prayers and praises give us strength. It is our central power. Their feasts manifest at our altars. Beautiful temples are dedicated to our realm. In return, we protect and cherish their civilization, teach them to build and cultivate, inspire them with the good of Dharma. We give them righteousness that shall balance all lives. Without the mortals, the gods are like fish without water."

  "Why don't you fight the demons yourselves? They are your old enemy, are they not?" I said, standing up again with my wobbly feet. "You took the Elixir Amrita and only shared it among your kind. The demons hate you for it. It is your selfish fault. Now our world has to face this terrible doom!"

  The King of God grew still like a stone. His face seemed redder, but I couldn't stop myself.

  "You're afraid that there is no man to worship you and you will lose your power to your half-brothers," I continued. "You send your earthly children to fight the war and die in your place. I was brought back in time to be sacrificed like a lamb so that you can satisfy yourselves with all the glory and fame!"

  "Enough!" Indra roared. Flashes of lightning and thunders rumbled from the ceiling. He was a god, a kingly one. His lightning bolt would blast me in a heartbeat, but I had had enough of their game. If he wished to kill me, then so be it!

  After a while, the room stopped raging w
ith storms and turned back to normal again. Indra seemed to draw a long deep breath to calm himself.

  "Brave daughter of the devoted Queen, you are too young and too naive to see the Lord's plan," he said in a patient voice. "If the Elixir of Immortality got into the hands of the Asuras, death and destruction shall be ours. There would be no creation and no humanity to begin with. My throne grows hotter day after day, warning me of our terrible end. If I could fight the battle for you, it would have been my greatest joy. I am the God of Victory. Alas, I would not shame my holy race and hide like a frightened fawn. You underestimate my might and valor. You think I won't grieve if our children fail and the earth turns into a poor charred cinder floating in space? The Asuras have already reincarnated. Some are born as humans, aiding the dark power, but the gods are forbidden to fight in mortal wars. That is why we had to send our aspects to protect the Creation. But I forgive you for I can see you are not well-informed."

  The god's words stung me like a thousand bees. I felt tears burning my eyes. Indra was genuinely trying to make me understand the nature of my duty. We both were on the same side. I shouldn't have resented him and blindly accused him.

  "So you can't fight the demons because they were born humans?"

  "This war is the intention of the Cosmic Laws, incomprehensible beyond your material world," Indra said. "The Great Lord of Time has set the wheel of Karma in motion. It is pointless to oppose it."

  "That is why we must destroy them before they bring the fall of the Meru gods?"

  "Why would you wait until the demons reach your doors if you can go to war and show them the power you have been chosen for?"

  "I understand now," I said, bowing my head humbly at the King-God. "I have been a fool and hasty to judge."

  "Very well, child," Indra sighed. "It is a sacred duty that you must protect mankind and bring evildoers to destruction. You shall save not just the Holy City but the whole creation. You're born to destroy the destroyers."

  ~*~

  At the Gate of Amaravati, Kemira and two of her older sisters, Goraga and Mondea, along with other celestial maidens came to send me off to earth. I didn't expect the goddesses to come since they were not supposed to show such courtesy towards a mortal. They bade me goodbye with gracious words but I felt their pity underneath.