"Nikita look! We are here!" Atith said. I lifted my eyes to see the intersected rivers running and shimmering like silver fish-scales in the sunlight. We had finally reached the Great Lake.

If it was up to my pestering heart, I would have plunged myself into the river right then and there. Yet all I did was staring at the vast belly of waters sprawling out like an inland sea.

We found a place to rest and discuss our next plan.

"Samudra, where do you think the Naga entrance is?" Tusita asked.

The sea god's son frowned in contemplation. His dark eyes stared intensely at the water.

"I have to get down there and look," he said. "But the Great Lake is a sacred place of the Naga race. We have to be careful. I need Atith to come along in case something happens."

"But I can't swim," Atith said.

"You're with me, you shall be fine." Samudra waved his hands and the water parted, making a path into the river.

"Bless the gods!" Atith exclaimed.

After everything was ready, the two avatars went down the riverbank. They walked into the river about a hundred paces before their heads submerged underwater.

The radiant sun began to blush then redden and glow with a thousand colors. We remained on the shore, waiting for their return. My eyes never left the rippling water. An hour passed, I turned to the nearby mangrove instead or I would go mad from my sense of helplessness. It was better to be far from the river, so I could not see it.

As I sat among the twisted tree trunks and woven shrubs, I listened to the cries of birds—cranes, golden weavers, and wood-peckers bickering on the branches. But nothing could distract my mind from worries.

Nothing promising had crested the sparkling water either. Tusita was standing over the muddy bank, shading her eyes from the glare of the sun. Kesar was preparing dried food she had packed from the city. She knew I had eaten nothing since we left.

Then we heard a shout. My heart leaped, and I went running back to the river. We saw Atith and Samudra emerged.

"Did you find it?" Tusita yelled before they could even reach the bank. They seemed exhausted.

I tried to be patient and waited until they could tell us, but my eyes were filled with the same question. Kesar came to stand by me. Her face was tight and imploring just like mine.

"None but fish and more fish," Atith said to our dismay. "No entrance, not even a cave in sight."

"I suspected that as much," Tusita muttered to herself. "We can't pass the Naga Gate unless we are invited."

I sighed, remembering what my mother had told me.

"The Naga realm is beyond all physical boundaries that no mortals could enter," I said more to myself.

"I shall speak to Father about this," Tusita said urgently. "Perhaps, he could give us some guidance."

With a dispirited nod, I agreed to wait. There was nothing we could do at the moment. Tusita began to meditate, sitting under the shade of a tall mango tree. Atith took his nap on the chariot as his own weariness had caught up with him.

Samudra started building fire before nightfall.

For me, I could not rest and decided to wander into the woods. Sitting down on a moss-covered stone, it reminded me of the day I kissed Amarisa by the waterfall. Now I feared that this long separation would take her heart farther away from me.

I heard Kesar's voice, which awoke me from my reverie. I turned to find her walking towards me. With some effort, I managed a dry smile. She sat down. Her hand held a roasted fish wrapped in a lotus-leaf.

"You must be hungry, my lady. You should eat."

I shook my head 'no'.

"I am sure Princess Amarisa shall be fine," she said again. Her warm words were like fine silk brushing over my skin, coaxing me back from my worries, but I looked away in shame.

"This is my fault," I said. "I drew her away."

Kesar shook her head.

"Blame yourself no more," she said. "What is done can't be undone. You are merely human doing what the gods bid, mistakes or merits alike. If you want to blame yourself, blame me as well."

I heaved another sigh. It was fruitless to prove Kesar that my wrongdoings were truly and inexcusably my own.

The winged maiden began to unwrap the fish she had cooked. The delicious smell aroused an appetite I didn't know I had.

"You can't bring her back if you have no strength," Kesar said.

Despite the gloom, I succumbed to her request. As I began to eat reluctantly, she helped pick out the fish-bones like she always did.

Looking at the Kennari, I wished time would turn backward. I wished the cruel love god had not plagued us with his poisoned darts. How I wished I had not dragged everyone along into my sins.

"Kesar," I said slowly. "Have you ever thought of being with someone else? Someone whom you so much deserve?"

She looked at me, shocked by my hinting words.

"I have never harbored such thoughts in my mind," she said.

"But you and I...we both can't be together..."

"I do understand, my lady," she said. Her eyes glittered in the brink of tears. "I have no place worthy of togetherness with you. But I desire no one in this lifetime and have no intention to leave...unless...unless it pleases you that I do."

"No! It does not please me at all, Kesar," I said, shaking my head in protest. "Even we can't be more than friends, I won't turn you away again, that I promise you."

This brought a sad smile to her lips. I wrapped my arms around her. Kesar leaned into me easily. She placed her cheek on my chest. Her hair smelled of sweet lilacs. For a brief moment, I felt strange in my body. A chill of some sort. I held Kesar's form tighter like I couldn't get close enough.

"What about the princess?" she asked.

I was silent for a while as I considered the question. I had no answer.

But then we heard Tusita's call. Kesar broke away. The avatar ran towards me. Atith and Samudra were in tow.

"Nikita, my father has answered me!" she said in excitement.

"He did?" I asked, feeling my body surged with delight.

"He said you have brought a gift with you."

"I have?" I was confused.

"Yes, what is it that you brought along?" Atith asked impatiently.

"Let me see," I said and rummaged around my satchel. "I have some apricots, Tepi's map, some drawing pencils, and...oh wait...Ravi gave me the holy fish's scales."

"Yes! The magical scales!" Samudra said. "The rivers would appreciate such offering indeed."

"Great," Tusita said. "Tonight, we shall do it."

When the darkness covered the sky, we went down to the edge of the river again. I took out the golden box from my bag. The fish scales glowed bright blue and red inside. With a silent prayer, I placed the box on the water and gave it a shove forward. It floated away over the trembling waves.

For a long moment, nothing happened, but true to Indra's words, the golden box began to spin and a whirlpool began to form. The water kept swirling until we heard distant haunting music from the bottom.

All of a sudden, something rose out to the surface like a whale taking a breath. We gasped as the water poured noisily from it. We saw a huge rowing boat beginning to reveal itself. It was painted in lustrous red and gold with a roof over it. There were ten men holding wooden oars at both ends. A band of musicians sat inside, playing strange music. The seemingly enchanted boat glittered over the river as it sailed towards the bank.

"Who summoned the ride?" one of the oarsmen said.

"We did," Tusita came to answer.

"Then get on board."

All the crews looked like the dead— hollow eyes and blank slimy faces. They wore a uniform of red silk with gold embroidery. But their skins were drippy and as green as moss. I tried not to stare too much at their odd appearance.

We exchanged glances and then did as we were told. We went over to the boat. Kesar tried to come along with me, but the same oarsman cried out with a loathing glare of his hollow eyes.

"No birds allowed in the Naga realm!" he said. "Vicious winged-creatures must remain on land or none shall pass the gate."

I frowned at the oarsman for insulting my Kennari. But I knew there was nothing I could do. Besides, I would rather want Kesar far away from all dangers. I looked back at Kesar, who gripped my arm tightly with pleading eyes.

"Kesar, you stay here and wait for me," I told her. "Be very careful while I'm gone. I'll be back with the avatars, I promise."

She bit her lip, but she finally gave me a reluctant nod. Then she cupped my face in her hands and kissed my forehead.

"Take care, my lady," she said after we parted. The last thing I felt was her hand squeezing mine as if to tell me to be careful. I didn't know what would happen after that. But one thing was for sure— whether things turned amiss or good in the end, Kesar and I would always be good friends.

When we all settled onto the boat, the musicians changed their melodies. Panic rose from my stomach as the whirlpool started again. The water was spinning and pulling the whole boat down. It was terrifying. I thought we were going to die from drowning, but once the boat submerged underwater, I realized we were still alive and breathing.

I stared at everything in astonishment. Lights ghostly shimmered off our moving vessel. The oarsmen kept rowing forward in silence. Deeper into the river, I could see silvery scales of innumerable fishes swimming by our windows.

"Tell us your destination," the sailor asked in a flat tone.

I answered boldly, "The Palace of the Serpent King."