The clear blue skies shine over the mountains and jungles of Pumdhuubo. It is late morning, when my family and I had just arrived at the manor from Ravenport. While the staff are unpacking our luggage, I sit in the library with father. He is staring at his papers, as smoke from his pipe covers his stern face.
"Father," I speak to father.
He pretends not to hear me.
"Can I go for a walk in the fields?"
"Hmmph," he replies.
"Is that a... yes?"
Father rolls his eyes. He takes his pipe out of his mouth. "Just go, boy. Do not bother the workers while you are out there."
I leave the manor and go walking in the tea fields. The fields are a vibrant green and filled with tea leaves, covering the rolling hills that end with the jungles. I follow a path through the tea fields towards the edge of the jungle.
I walk past the workers who are out in the field being harvested. One of the laborers is a small child, likely no more than eight years old. He struggles to carry a load of tea leaves he is picking.
cough, cough
The poor boy coughs pitifully.
I look around and see a bucket by a well. I grab the bucket and fill it with water. I bring the boy the water. The boy seems surprised by my gesture.
"Let me help you." I take the heavy sack from the child. The boy looks up at me and smiles. He drinks the water and I take the tea to a shack near the jungle. I follow another worker into the storage shack and place the boy's tea bag there. I exit the shack and walk along a dirt road.
hiss!
I stop suddenly, and look around. Where did that hissing sound come from?
snap! snap!
I look around. I see movement in the tea fields near me. I stand still like a deer. A faint voice comes from the jungle. It is barely audible, but it sounds like a woman whispering.
"Hello," whispers a faint voice.
"Shoo! Shoo!" shouts a man behind me.
I turn around and see an old man. He has dirty, white hair that is long and braided. His body is wrapped in white robes. He also has a staff that he waves in the direction of the tea fields. He chants and prays, as the rustling of the fields dies out.
Once the rustling stops the old man stares at me. He raises one of his bony fingers and points at me.
"Young man..." he says in a frail and ancient voice. "Beware the wilderness."
I look into the jungle to see and hear animals fleeing deeper into the jungle.
The old man pokes me with his staff. "Don't go in there, my boy." He points to the woods. "As a foreigner in these lands, you understand the dangers that room under the dark canopies."
"Sir, what is in there?" I ask.
The bony old man shivers. "We do not speak of it. It is a most foul and powerful creature that preys upon those too foolish to resist its charms."
"I'm sorry, sir."
The old man puts his shaky and bony hand on my shoulder. "Go back to the house." He points to the manor. "Don't go out and don't listen to it."
He pushes me, and I run back towards the house and hide in the library of the manor.
"Son!"
I see father glaring at me, as he sits in a lounge chair, smoking his pipe and reading his documents.
"What were you doing out there?" he inquires.
"Oh, father, I was just going for a walk."
"What were you so frightened by?" Smoke circles around father's head.
"There was something. In the fields."
Father furrows his brow. "Yes. That thing is tea and the workers who harvest it."
"No, father. There was something else. An elder warned me that there is something very dangerous out there." I point to the jungle.
"Yes, probably just snakes and tigers."
"It was something he wouldn't dare speak off. Like it was some sort of demon or monster."
Father throws back his head and laughs.
"Hahahaha! Oh son. Don't buy into local superstitions."
"Father, this is serious," I snap back.
He stands up and towers over me. "Listen, boy. There are no such things as monsters, gods, and anything supernatural." Father points at me harshly. "Now rid yourself of these magical thoughts, and focus on the real world."
I hang my head and sigh. "Yes, sir."
Later that evening, we are hosting a party at the manor for father's business partners, Messrs. MacAbel and Ganesh. I spend most of the party on the balcony overlooking the valley. The moon and stars light up the green valley. I pace the balcony and terrace around the manor. From the manor, I look into the jungle. It is dark and twisted inside the jungle. I stare into the darkness bored and depressed.
hhhmmm
I hear a humming sound. I turn around and see no one near me. Then I look into the forest and see something the faint in the distance. A bright light shines in the distance. It slowly changes green and gold. It is beautiful and enchanting.
"Don't go out and don't listen to it." The old man's warning rings through my head.
I turn away and look in the opposite direction towards my father's business party. I can still see the light reflecting in the glass windows. It is beautiful, even if only a faint reflection. I also hear the faint sound of flutes and whistling. It is coming from the jungle. I try to resist, but my curiosity gets the best of me. I turn and look towards the light. It is so beautiful, like a star in the night sky. I descend the staircase onto a trail near the terrace.
"It is probably harmless," I whisper. I walk towards the light. As I get closer to the jungle, it starts to get further away.
"I must follow the light." I pick up the pace and reach the edge of the jungle. The light grows faint and retreats further into the trees. I jump over some shrubs and run towards the light. The jungle floor is covered in leaves and dirt. Moon beams shine through the canopy above and light my way. Vines and tree branches slow me down, as I hike through the forest towards the fleeing light. Carefully, I navigate through the jungle foliage. The jungle smells sweet at night. In the distance, I hear the sound of water. I get closer and see a creek. The water is clear and quick moving.
The light goes down the creek. I follow the light alongside the creek. The side of the creek has slippery mud and rocks. I carefully walk upon the rocks.
SLIP! SPLASH!
I lose my footing and fall into the creek. The creek's current carries me downstream. My back slides against the bed of the creek and kicks up dirt. I struggle violently, trying to grab a hold of anything that could save me. It is no use. No roots or anything.
My head bobs up and down from the water. I'm gasping for breath and screaming.
"HELP! HELP!" I yell.
In the distance, I hear a sound that grows louder; it is a splashing and thundering sound, the sound of an upcoming waterfall. I struggle and fight against the current, I sink my fingers deep into the dirty floor, and kick up more dirt from the creek bed.
It is no use. I go over the waterfall. I close my and prepare for death at the bottom. I fall and hit the water with great force. I am forced deep under water by the force of the fall and by the torrent of water falling upon me.
My body stings from the force of the fall. I swim to the surface, fighting against the currents, and stick my hands above the water. I get above and swim blindly away from the waterfall. My vision is blurred and I reach out towards something dark and rope like. I grab hold of what feels like a vine; I pull it to try to climb out of the water.
Suddenly, the vine seems to pull me away from the water. I get a shore.
cough! cough!
I hack out the water in my lungs and throat. I bend over and beat my chest. My clothes are soaked and covered in mud.
"Damn, father and mother are going to kill me."
I walk a few steps. My soaking soaks swish against the hard jungle floor.
grrrrr
Like a startled deer, my head jerks up. I look around near the edge of the water; I see a bright and furry creature bent over the lake. It is covered in stripes and looks up at me.
"AHHHHH!!" I scream. The tiger bears its shiny white teeth at me. I find a tree and climb it. My heart races as I try to evade the monstrous beast. Fear gives me the strength and speed to scale the tree. I make it several meters off the ground. Sitting on a massive and sturdy branch. I look down at the tiger which slowly circles the trunk. It rears up on its hind legs, and leans against the tree, looking up at me.
"Damn. I'm such an idiot. Tigers can climb trees." I sweat profusely and brace for death.
The tiger stares at me with its golden eyes. Then grins at me, like a scheming man. It lies down on the ground and with his golden eyes, winks at me.
"What?" I sigh, confused and relieved. I lean against the branch. I feel both exhausted and energized all at once; my chest heaves as I take deep breaths.
"Hello there," says a faint female voice.
I turn my head and look around. "What?" I reply.
The voice giggles. "Hahaha. What have we here? A human boy."
I look around and see some movement in the thick branches above me. Yet, I can't see what is up there.
"W-w-who are you?"
The branches rustle, and from the leaves above, pops out a head. A serpent's head. The python turns its head towards me, and looks at me with eyes that are green like the light I saw earlier. My jaw hangs open at the sight of the large snake. I shiver on the branch. The snake inches closer to me. I look down and see the coils of the snake are wrapped around the tree branches beneath me. I am also too high up to jump without breaking any bones. I back up against the trunk and put my hands up.
"Oh, my dear, don't be afraid." The snake smirks. "I only wissssh to talk," she hisses.
"Shoo!" I stick out my hand to push away the snake's head.
Whack! The python's tail comes up from below and swats my hand. I almost fall over, but the snake's tail catches me and holds me back onto the branch.
"Tssssk, tssssk, tssssk." The snake shakes its head. "Don't be rude my dear boy. It gets ssso lonely out here. It has been a long time ssssince one of your kind hassss entered."
"W-w-what are you?" I ask the creature. "You are no ordinary snake!"
She laughs softly. "Haha right you are. I am Nadikaana Queen of thisss Jungle. I ssssee you are lossst my dear." With the tip of her tail, Nadikaana caresses my face, her tail is smooth and tough.
"My dear boy, what bringssss you into my foresssst?" the serpent queen asks me, in a mocking tone.
"I-I w-was.... looking for something." I pull away and try to get away from her caressing tail.
"Where you looking for thisssss?" Her tail points towards her face. I see it. The lights that I had been following. Nadikaana's eyes slowly flicker gold and emerald green. Her eyes are so beautiful and so close.
"Look....... at...... me....." she says slowly. "Look....... at...... me...." she repeats.
I gaze into her bright and beautiful eyes.
"Look....... at...... me...." she says.
I feel her tail reaching down and caressing my legs. Her tail tip reaches down my sock, and begins to remove my shoes and socks.
