Chapter 13

Khari let Pea's hand go. He walked over to the who had spoke up about the salak fruit. He stood in front of him. "Where is the valley of serpents? I need to get this fruit." He asked him. The mane stepped forward his name was Jarn and he was half serpent and half human. "You are a half blood, tell me half blood how do I get to this valley?" Khari asked him impatiently. "It is too dangerous, the serpent that guards the valley has been there since the beginning of time. She is no friend to anyone." Jarn explained to Khari. Path rushed to Khari. "He is right we have to find another way." She warned him. "I do not you to tell me how dangerous it is, I need you to tell me how I get there." He said impatiently. "You do not understand…." Jarn wanted to explain but he was interrupted by Khari. "You do not understand. I am running out of time and she will die! Tell me now." Khari lashed out as he clutched his hand. Nile rushed to him and held his hand. The people around them looked at them. "Khari, you need to calm down. Just tell him how he gets to the valley." Nile said to Jarn after he had calmed Khari down. Khari slowly put his fingers through Nile's holding them tight and Nile held his too. He could see how he was afraid to lose Pea but didn't want anyone to see yet he also trusted him to know he'd be back. "I will take you, I know the way. It's faster if we teleport there." Amara stepped in and told Khari. The jaguar spirits looked at their princes but she smiled. "I wasn't very nice to her, this is the least I can do." She said. Khari took a deep breath. He looked at Nile, Nile nodded his head in approval. "Go but come back to me." He told him and Khari nodded his head. "Hmm, take of yourself." He said as he let his hand go. Khari cut the insisted of his palm, dripped his blood on the ground whilst he chanted in ancient language. A boundary was created over the dark world. "As long as this boundary is up no Guardian will come through. Take care of my family." He told Chamu and he nodded in agreement. Khari took Amara's hand and they both disappeared from the forest. "He called you family and he is even risking his life for her." One of the mermaids said to Path. She looked at Chamu. "I told you he was different, now do you believe me?" She said as she held Nile's hand and they both sat close to Pea. "Can someone bring me a fur and I need some herbs to help slow down the poison from spreading." Nile said and a bunch of women ran eager to assist.

Khari and Amara landed at the entrance of the valley of serpents. It was windy, dark and full of skulls and bones. Khari could feel the serpents venom from afar in his blood. He lit a fire using his phoenix energy in his palm. Amara looked at him surprised. "I thought you were of water energy and your sister was from fire." She commented. "I was but I took from my mother when I killed her." He told her proudly. She looked at him. "So the rumors are indeed true." She went on to comment. Khari nodded his head. "If the rumors say I killed my mother and I will kill anyone who disturbs my serpents. Then it is indeed true." He told her as if it was a warning of some sort. She smiled and walked closer to him. "You are in love with the human boy or the serpents?" She asked him confused. She saw how much he cared for Pea and path but she also saw how he looked at Nile and it left her confused. "The serpents are the only family I have known. Nile is everything to me." He replied her without even hesitating. He wanted her to know clearly that he would do anything for all of them. "How are you able to feel that way? They said you have a stone cold heart." She really wanted to understand him. Khari didn't change the poker face expression on his face. "I guess my mother must have made a mistake when she did the spell." He told her and they continued walking deeper into the valley. They got to a huge cave and Amara stopped. "I guess this is it. You find her down there. You first." She said to Khari and he looked at her. He walked into the cave and he heard the hissing sounds grow more and more. Khari waled in the middle of the cave and there were more dead bones but there were also trees and water in it. As he looked around he found himself inside a huge coiled up serpent. Iit coiled itself right round him and Amara ran to the far end. Khari didn't move so the snake lifted him up and there was it's face. It was half titanoboa and half human. "Another half blood?" Khari asked Amara who was down below. Amara shook her head. "She was cursed by the gods for being to proud of her beauty. So they turned her into a Titanoboa." She whispered to Khari. the serpent looked at Khari and she smiled. She had long white hair and she was pretty. "Your friend needs the salak." She said to him and he looked at her surprised. She smiled. "Allow me to introduce myself to you, your highness. I am Ruvah the snake spirit and guardian of the serpents." She told him. Khari looked at her and he didn't reply. He saw her letting him go. "Where are my manners? My apologies for that my king." She addressed him again. "You do know that I am not a king right? I was born a prince but I never took on that role and not even my people acknowledge it." He explained to her and she giggled like a little girl. "You are the salvation of us. You are the Guardian of all creatures. The nine worlds, the living, the dead and everything is under your feet." She went on telling him but Khari looked at Amara even more confused. Ruvah realized he didn't even know any of this. So she slithered and put her face closer to Khari's. "Your dreams are your guide Khari, you have had them since you fed on the serpents. You are the anchor of all worlds. Follow your dreams because without you the world will fall into Jahzara's hands again." She told him and Khari was shocked at how she knew about his dreams. "How did you know of my dreams?" Khari asked and Ruvah slithered back and she brought back a Salak fruit in her hand. "This is what you came for. Take it and feed her this. When the time comes call on me and I will be there to serve you my Lord." She said as she bowed down her head in respect to Khari. Khari took the fruit and he bowed his head back to her. "Thank you Ruvah. I will remember this." He said to her. Amara looked at this shocked. She had been known to crush whoever passed through the valley but she was honoring and bowing to Khari. Khari began walking towards the entrance and Amara still stood there shocked. When she began walking the serpent spoke to her. "Protect him with your life. He is the past, the present and the future." The serpent told Amara and she just nodded her head shocked. Amara ran after Khari and they both walked in the valley silently as they both were shocked by the events that had taken place in the cave.

Khari teleported himself and Amara back to the dark world. They appeared back and everyone was shocked to see them. Path rushed to Khari and looked at him. He took the fruit from his hand and handed it to Nile. "How did you get it so fast? The supernatural Salak is bigger in size as compared to the one in the huma world." Nile commented. Amara walked up to Chamu. "She was waiting for him. She gave him the fruit and bowed her head to him." Amara whispered in his ear. Chamu looked at Amara shocked and she made a face. Nile took the fruit and mixed it with warm water he asked for a little of Khari's blood and he cut his palm and gave Nile drops of his blood in the mix. Nile asked Khari to hold Pea up for him and he made her drink the potion. He gave the little that remained to Path and she drank it too. "Let us wait for a couple of minutes. She should be up anytime soon." He said and Khari nodded his head. He sat there with Pea in his arms. Nile held Khari's hand the whole time. The supernaturals watched the interaction between the two of them and they couldn't believe how three people from three different worlds could just care about each other so much. Amara watched Khari and she felt and understood what Ruvah had told her. Pea slowly opened her eyes and she saw both Nile and Khari. "Master, Nile." She called them. Nile and Khari saw her opening her eyes and they both helped her sit up straight. Nile hugged her tightly. "Oh you gave me a scare Pea! How could you?" He said to her in tears of joy. Pea huggeg him back in tears. "Oh I am so sorry Nile, I am so sorry." ZShe said to him in tears. Khari just sat there allowing the two friends to hug it out and cry. Path ran and hugged her sister and the three of them all hugged leaving Khari sitting there looking at them. He stood up and let them hug it out.

Khari walked away from his family and he saw the tree in front of him. He had not noticed it since he was so occupied trying to heal Pea. He looked at the tree and he walked towards it. Chamu and Amara who had been watching him noticed him looking at the tree strangely. "This tree, what is it?" He asked. His voice was shaking. Path helped her sister and Nile up. Chamu and the elders of the dark world walked towards Khari. He was shaking and he kept walking slowly towards the tree. "It is called the Yggdrasil, it is the tree that connects all life. You have never heard of it?" Amara asked him and he didn't reply. He began seeing flashes of images with the tree in his dream and he fell to the ground with his hand on his head. Nile ran to him. "Khari! you must be tired." He held his arm. Khari knelt and looked at the tree. It was as if it was calling him. He held on to Nile. "Take me away from this tree." He pleaded him and Nile helped him up. Amara ran to hold Khari's other hand and they walked him to a vacant house a bit further from the tree. Path helped Pea up. "I think he exhausted. He used too much of his magic to get you healed up." She said to her sister smiling. Pea smiled back at Path and they both laughed. Chamu walked to the girls. "You must be tired, I will take you to stay with me." He told them. "We will stay with Khari and Nile. I need to see if he is okay." Path told Chamu. She began walking with Pea following Khari and Nile. Pea looked at her sister. "Are you angry at him? You seem angry at him." She asked her sister but Path shook her head as they walked together to the house. Khari and Nile got to the house and Nile helped him sit on the bed. He lay on his back looking up. His heart beat fast. Nile held his hand and Khari smiled at him. "You need to rest. You have been through a lot. Your body needs to rest." Nile told his lover. Khari reached for his face and touched his face. "Hmm." He just said and Nile took his hand from his face and kissed it. Khari went to sleep and Nile left him to rest.

Amara and Nile walked out of the house together. Amara looked at Nile and smiled. She had the same skin color as him and seeing this beautiful brown skinned human with no powers being able to have three supernatural wrapped around his finger was something amazing. She stood next to him and touched his shoulder. "You know humans are a weak species and they always tend to be selfish. This is why the demons could easily affect them. But you Nile, you are something special. You and Khari might just be what the world has always needed." She was sincere. Travelling with Khari to th valley of serpents had opened her eyes but seeing Khari and Nile together had her believe there was hope for all creatures, supernatural or not. "Or we might be the doom of everyone. Khari always likes to say love is the dark source. The beginning of all evil. maybe we are that too." Nile said to Amara but she smiled. "I think not, the Yggdrasil has never affected anyone but him and you are human who broke into a cave with the most powerful spell on it. You made a stone cold Guardian fall in love. I think you and him are fate." She told him and Nile looked at her. Pea and Path walked over to them. "I am glad someone sees things the way I do." Path addressed Amara. "I apologize for being rude to you earlier on. I was out of line. We all lost something or someone to Jahzara." Amara apologized to Path and Pea and the sisters smiled. "I really understand. My focus is making sure Khari and Nile are safe for now as we regroup." Pea told Amara and Amara nodded her head. "The Titanoboa addressed him as king, she told him she'd come and serve if he called him. There is so much we need to find out about Khari." Amara told the sisters. Nile looked at her surprised. "I think he is connected to the tree too. The Guardians are missing something." Path added on and the four of them looked in the room Khari slept. "If that is the case then really need to protect him. We really need to protect Nile too." Pea explained them and they all agreed. "Let me gather all the elders for the different clans, we need to strategize because the Guardians are sure coming for Khari and Nile." Amara told them as she left. Nile looked worried. He took a deep breath. "Nile, I know what you thinking. Your love is not the doom of this world. It is beautiful." Path encouraged him with a smile on her face. Nile nodded his head. "Path can you do me a favour?" He asked he with a smile on his face. Path smiled and nodded her head. Nile whispered in her ear and she smiled even more. She took his hand and ran with him towards the waterfall.

It was dawn when Khari woke up. He slowly opened his eyes and he saw Nile sitting on a chair close by. He smiled, sat up straight and threw the sheets away. Nile saw him and rushed to him. He touched his whole body examining him. "Why are you up? Are you sure you don't need more rest?" He asked Khari concerned about him. Khari smiled at Nile. "I am alright father, your son doesn't need more sleeping." He teased Nile and Nile smiled kissing him on the lips. "Then you need to take your bath then and change your clothes." Nile ordered Khari who nodded his head in agreement. Nile led Khari to the bathroom and he helped him remove all his clothes. Khari sat in the wooden in the room and Nile helped him wash his body. He sat outside next to the tub whilst Khari sat in the tub watching Nile help him bath. "Nile, something is on your mind. Tell me what it is." Khari asked him. Nile managed to smile as he scrubbed Khari's arm. "You scared me the other day, seeing you on that ground in pain had me so afraid. Hmm, you cant ever do that to me Khari." He told him with tears in his eyes. Khari moved his body closer to Nile's and he touched his chin making Nile look at him. "Nile, look at me." Khari said to Nile holding his chin up and Nile looked into Khari's eyes. "I am sorry I scared you like that, I really am." He apologized to him and Nile nodded his head with his tears filling his eyes. Khari reached and kissed him on his lips. Their lips touched and Nile put both of his hands around Khari's neck and kissed him hard. He let his hands dig in his wet hair and he held on tight to it. Khari and Nile kissed each other and Khari pulled him into the wooden tub splashing water all over the place. Nile's clothes became wet but he didn't stop kissing his man. Khari held Nile with both his hands and kissed him passionately. The door was opened and Amara walked in. "Oh my God! I am so sorry!" She screamed and immediately apologized whilst closing the door. Khari and Nile immediately stopped kissing, Nile started laughing but Khari was shy so he just sat there. "Come on in Amara." Nile called out to her and Amara slowly opened the door. She was carrying clothes. "I had brought this for Khari, I understand you love red." She said trying to hide her shyness. It was awkward for both Amara and Khari but Nile couldn't stop laughing. "Thank you Amara, I will get changed now." He told her and she left the room. Khari just looked at his lover who was still laughing and he shook his head.