Six Years Before, Gay Ever After

Chapter 7

After explaining all about Sisu floating to the river's end, Namaari couldn't help but say excitedly, "Can you imagine,? A dragon back into our world, things can be so much better." I slipped, oh god, Namaari winced, her mother would surely say otherwise, but she saw Raya blink in awe. But she couldn't help but look at Raya when she explained all this, without Raya knowing.

That, is so true, does this actually there is a chance for all the lands and become Kumandra again, Raya thought wistfully and looked at her Ba, he looked lost as the other land chiefs weren't taking the initiative to talk to him. "Maybe we really can be Kumandra again," Raya said her thought out loud, Namaari stared at her, she has the exact same wish as I do, peace, she is amazing, and I have to... stop it.

Namaari took one step further to gain Raya's trust, Namaari thought her pendant will surely be in good hands with a friend like Raya, she unclasped her leather tread that held the precious pendant she got from her mother on her 10th birthday, and stared at Raya.

Raya stared in surprise and held up her hands to receive the beautiful gift. "Here," Namaari said kindly and passed the pendant into Raya's hands, Raya stared at the gleaming gold dragon pendant, with the blue gem in the centre, "Woah, really?" She wanted to pass it back to her, she can't accept this, it was Namaari's. But Namaari reached out her hand and pressed her palm gently on Raya's fingers, closing around the pendant, and pushed it to her, "From one dragon nerd, to another."

Raya held up he necklace and stared at it,  she felt her heart skip, she was touched by Namaari's action, it proved to her, that this is the person she can trust to... She looked at Namaari.

"Hey dep la," Raya said causally, she is beautiful anyway, "I wanna show you something." Seeing Namaari's eyes light up with surprise, Raya smiled and took Namaari by the hand, and pulled her excitedly higher up the mountain. Tuk tuk saw the girls leaving and spotted the bowl of  longans, his eyes lighted up and he licked his lips, not wanting to miss out one of Raya's adventures, he grabbed a longan and rolled towards the door.

"Where are we going now?" came the curious reply.

"It's a secret, you can't tell anyone, not even your mom, got it?" Raya whispered excitedly.
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"Wait, is this...," Namaari uttered in disbelief, they were holding hands, and staring at the entrance of the dragon temple that held the most powerful object that kept Kumandra safe from the evil Druun.

"Yeah, watch your step, there are traps, follow me," Raya entered the temple, with Namaari following behind her.

"How do you know how to go there?" Namaari asked in awe, looking at the carved details on the rock walls.

"Well, just yesterday I passed the test to become a guardian of the dragon gem, and it took me two years to get myself to the room without getting trapped in a cage," Raya winked as she recalled the first time she came she got trapped at one tunnel that lead her away from the gem.

"Two years, wow," Namaari breathed and continued following Raya. They avoided all the traps and came to the last tunnel, the place with little button on the stone floor that would release cages to grab them. "Heh, I got that covered," Raya smirked and prodded Tuk tuk to finish eating and roll over the stones to release cages so she and Namaari can crawl under them. Using two thick sticks she picked up on the way up the mountain, Raya unlocked the door leading to the gem. Meanwhile, Namaari was trying to control her thoughts, should I betray her? I don't want to betray her. But its for Fang. Goddamn should I? What would Mother say if I don't? Fang would be in deep trouble...

Suddenly, a small gust of wind blowed Namaari's hair, and Namaari could smell the freshness of air in the room, it smelled like fresh water, and it looked so magical. They silently removed their shoes and walked along the stairs, not touching the water that as flowing upwards. "Do you like it?" Raya asked nervously, biting her lip, not wanting to see Namaari's face fall. Namaari was traumatised by the magic filling her head, that she didn't say anything, all she could do was gasp, "The spirit of Sisu... I can feel it...," and she raised her hands on top of her forehead in a circle and bowed, it was a symbol of greeting to a god. Raya smiled, it was quite obvious Namaari loved this special magical moment.

"It's the last bit of dragon magic left in the whole world," Raya said excitedly, while walking forward to lead her closer to the gem. Now that the gem recognised her as a guardian, it wouldn't alert her father. She went into her father's room before, and the chief showed her the magical bottle of dragon water from the pool of the water surrounding the gem, which was placed at the lamp stand beside his bed, he said if anyone had entered the secret temple, the water would glow a bright blue. Just yesterday, when the new guardian and her father were heading back to the palace, Raya asked her father, "So you saw the bottle glow when I entered the room?" "Yes, I knew you were the one that was trying to break in," Chief Benja laughed. Raya now had a similar bottle in her room, where she placed on her dresser, but she hasn't seen it glow before.

"I see why Heart guards it so closely," Namaari continued, the place was totally covered by large trees and vines, the only source of light was from the glowing blue gem surrounded by a pool of water with rocks jutting out. I have to do this. I have to do this. I'm sorry Raya...

"Thank you dep la, you've been... very helpful."

And she kicked Raya hard on the back, while Raya fell onto the floor, in a shock...