The Viper and The Eagle \\ Rising Phoenix Spin Off

12: The Hiss in the Serpent Valley

Takshaka Valley had beautiful large marble, sandstone, and granite hills. Tall tropical forests grew in there. The valley between the six hills was called Kamyavana or Kamyakavana. It was common to find beautiful gemstones and gold to be seen by the river the flowed through the forest. Large crystals grew from the sand by the riverside. They were unusual crystals that would have a rainbow like reflection. 

Vanshika pointed to the giant tree in the center of the valley. 

"Is that smell of the tree?" Bela asked surprise at how that smell had a certain kind of intoxication. 

"Yes. That is the Soma tree." Vanshika answered reaching up to the tree. 

"What is Soma tree?" Bela asked. 

"Devraj Indra ko sabse zyaada acha lagne wala ped hai." Bani remembered. "Satyug mein bohot saare hua karte the dharti pe par abh ek bhi nahi hai. Aisa kehte hai ki iski sungadh se bhi Indra dev khiche chale aate the. Swarga mein jahan Amrit rakha hua tha, wahi yeh ped ugta tha. Jab Garud amrit leke jaa rahe the toh amrit ka ek boond is ped ki jadon mein gira. Uski vajah se ismein aisi shakti aa gayi." 

"Soma vriksh ki speciality hai uska sap. Uski properties ek tarah se invulnerability produce karti hai. Matlab kuch waqt ke liye koi bhi cheez humari jaan nahi le sakti. Par uska side effect hai adrenaline rush. Matlab after effect mein hyperactivity hota hai. Vrishik Family ka ek bada raaz hai yeh ped. You'd be surprised ki iss ped ke sap se kya kya nahi kar sakte hai. Yeh valley Kamyavana sirf iss ped ki wajah se pada hai." Vanshika explained. 

"Tumhare family wale iss ped ka istemaal karte hai?" Bela asked.

Vanshika laughed. "You'll be surprised at how much of this tree has built our family's greatness. Vrishik Family ke undefeated hone mein iss ped ka ek bada haath hai..." She patted the tree's giant trunk. 

"Iski smell kuch zyada hi unusual hai. Aisa lagta hai ki koi nasha ho raha hai."

"Yeh exactly vahi smell hai jiske wajah se main uss din woh pool ke paas aa gayi thi..." Bani recognized the smell.

"Hain? Pool mein?"

"It was back when woh Shakura Aakesh banke aaya tha humare ghar. Veer ko Jay ne kaid karliya tha aur waha bachke bahar nikla. Tabh usne Shakura ko maara tha. Uss raat ko mujhe yeh smell aayi but it was so much more intense ki main kheechi chali gayi. Almost got hypnotized."

"Hundred percent he must have bribed someone from Takshak vansh. Iske jadon ko distill kiya jaata hai aur phir iske patton ke distilled liquid mein mix kiya jaata hai. It creates a certain kind of powerful hypnosis. I'm surprised that it also works on you."

"Tabh toh yeh baat kisi ko pata nahi hi chale toh accha hai. Koi iska galat istemaal kar sakta hai Bani ke khilaaf." Bela added. 

Bani looked at the brilliant tree and wondered how it came into Takshak valley. "Par yeh ped yaha kaise aaya?" 

"Humare family mein kehte hai ki Swarg mein pura forest hai inn pedon ka. Usmein se ek chota sa sapling Indra ne Takshak Naga ko diya ek gift ki tarah. Unhone iss ped ko yaha rakha. Vrishiks are direct descendants of Takshak Naga. This tree is a family property but iske kuch roots and leaves humare family wale dete hai durse Takshak vansh naagon ko. As a rule, we don't ever sell it for money. But gift mein diye jaate hai. Dad ne Nani ko diye hai. Nanu jabhi yaha aate hai, he is mesmerized by the tree." Vanshika had memories with the tree. They were some of the rare times when she remembered her Mayank playing with her around the tree as a child. 

"Tumhari memories hai iske saath?" Bani asked her noticing her facial expressions. 

"Bohot saari. Dad aur main yaha aate hai jab main choti thi. We used to play around here and he taught me how to properly cut the branches of this tree to ensure we don't heavily hurt the tree. Then he taught me the uses of its roots, flowers, fruits, and leaves..."