Nile took Khari's hand and walked with him down the river in the forest. He held his hand as he went down deeper into the forest. He had asked Amara where he could take him to spend time with him alone and she had told him the exact spot. Khari had been busy with Chamu and the elders discussing how to try and stop the curse from coming to pass. Amara had helped plan with the mermaids and found a spot just closer to the ponds in the forest. Nile helped Khari dress and had him let his hair lose that day. His hair was long and Nile like it when Khari didn't tie his hair back. The two of them walked together with Khari silently following Nile. He didn't ask any questions but he simply obeyed his lover. For someone of his majestic stature Khari turned into a young boy everytime he was around Nile. He never disobeyed him, he smiled a lot and he never took his eyes of Nile. Nile who was the playful one was always dominating his partner with his affection and playfulness. They got to the place the mermaids had prepared for them and there was a rug with so many delights. The sky was filled with floating flowers in water bubbles made by the mermaids. Khari looked around and he simply smiled. "What is all this?" He asked Nile confused. Nile took his hand and sat him down on the rug. "This is called a picnic, so me and you can spend time alone. We haven't done that in a while." Nile explained to him and Khari looked around him quietly. "This is…" Khari said but he paused and frowned. Nile saw it. "If you don't like it we can go back." He quickly jumped in. he didn't want to make Khari uncomfortable. He didn't know most of this stuff and he had compromised a lot for him. The last thing Nile wanted to do was make him uncomfortable. Khari smiled. "No, this is beautiful. I just didn't realize I haven't spent time with you alone that is why I frowned." He explained to Nile. Khari took both of Nile's hands into his and he kissed them before kissing him on the lips. "I have been so busy worrying about how to break this curse that I neglected you. I am truly sorry Nile." He apologized to his lover kissing him again on the lips. Nile place his hand on Khari's lips. "You don't have to apologize. You doing the best you can for us. So thank you Khari." Nile thanked him and he hugged Khari in his waist. Khari held Nile's head in his arms smiling.
They sat there and Nile lay on Khari's legs. They talked about how Amara, Pea and Nile had become so close, the mermaids, the werewolves. They talked about everything. They hadn't seen each other in the past days. Khari would wake up early and head out with Chamu and the others to look for answers and he alwas came back when Nile was asleep. He would just kiss him on the forehead and sleep next to him. Nile had seen how hard Khari was working to break the curse so he hadn't bothered him. Today he had thought of spoiling him and he took him to a place where it would only be them. Khari held Nile in his arms looking up in the sky. "Do you want to see something?" He whispered in Nile's ears and Nile nodded his head. Khari helped him sit up straight facing him. He took both of his hands and began doing some magic. Water came from the palms of his hands and he began playing with it. Nile smiled when he saw this. Khari began weaving the water with the both of his palms and he let out a little flame in between. "Wow!" Nile exclaimed as he watched Khari weaving the water with the fire using his palms. Khari wove a bracelet from fire and water. He held it in his palm and Nile smiled. Khari took Nile's left hand and he put the bracelet on. "Just like fire and water woven here so is our love." Khari said as he put it on Nile's wrist. Nile looked at Khari smiling with tears in his eyes. "I love it and I love you Khari." He told him in tears. Khari smiled and kissed Nile's hand. Nile took out a small box. "I made you something too." He said to Khari as he took the box out. Khari looked at Nile and smiled. Nile handed the box to him and told him to open it. Khari slowly opened the lid of the box and he saw a carved sun tied to a rope. He took it and put it in his hand. He smiled and he had tears in his eyes. All his life no one had ever given him anything. "It's a sun! why carve a sun?" He asked Nile smiling. He was wearing it on his neck when he asked. "Because you shine in the darkest places. You have been in the darkest of places yet you still shine bright like the sun." Nile told him and Khari just took a deep breath smiling. "Thank you Nile, it is beautiful. Just like you." He complimented his lover.
Nile held Khari's hand and played with his fingers. He looked deep into Khari's eyes and he couldn't stop smiling. Khari pulled him closer to him and held him in his arms. He caressed his face with his fingers. And Nile bit his lower lip smiling. Khari kissed Nile's forehead, his nose, his cheek, the other cheek and his chin. He looked at Nile and he kissed him softly on the lips. "I love your lips, I love your smile and I love you." Khari said to Nile. He had never said those words before and Nile knew he meant it. He knew now he understood the meaning of love so it made him happy. Nile smiled and kissed him back. "And I love you Khari, with all my heart." He swore to him and Khari kissed him hard on his lips. He slowly took Nile and placed him on the rug on his back. Khari lay on top of Nile staring into his eyes and Nile held his face in his hands. "Please don't let me go. Even on the darkest of days, don't let go." Khari begged Nile and Nile kissed him on his nose. "I am never letting go even if the gods stand tall. We live, laugh and love together." He made a promise to Khari. they kissed passionately. This time their kissing was different it was full of emotion and passion. Khari kissed Nile on his neck, ears and back on his lips. Nile held his lover tightly in his arms as they kissed. He opened the buttons on Khari's robe and kissed his chest. He rolled Khari over and he sat on top of him kissing him all over his body. He took Khari's pants off and kissed his thighs, his legs and his private area. Nile kissed Khari on his ears and Khari held him tight as if he was afraid he'd disappear. He rolled over and took Nile's pants off too. The tow of them kissed and touched each and every part and inch of each other's body. They made love on that rug and Khari didn't want to let go. They lay naked on the rug with Nile in Khari's arms. Khari kissed Nile on the back of his hand and Nile kissed his hands wrapped around him. "I missed you Nile." Khari whispered and Nile kissed his hands. "I missed you to Khari." He replied back. Khari held Nile tighter. They fell asleep in each other's arms.
It was almost dusk when Khari and Nile woke up. The two of them kissed and Khari took Nile's hand. "We need to go back. We have to wash you up." He told Nile. Nile nodded his head kissing Khari on the cheek. They both got up and began changing. They held hands and walked back home. They walked hand in hand smiling at each other. Khari was happy and he had a different glow and smile after their date. Nile could tell how happy his lover was. "Do you want to bath with me? And maybe hold me in your arms again." Nile asked Khari smiling and Khari nodded his head. "So lets hurry then." Nile said to Khari as he pulled his hands running. Khari ran after him smiling at him. When they walked back and past the Yggdrasil it called out tot Khari. he felt it's power's hold over him and in that moment the heart curse took action. His heart began to break free again. Khari felt his head heavier. He looked at the tree and he saw and he saw an image emerging from the depths of the tree. He shook his head, staggered and fell on the ground fainting. Nile saw Khari let go of his hand and fall. He quickly got hold of him and held him in his arms. He screamed his name and had everyone running towards them. "Khari, Khari!" He kept on screaming his name. Chamu, Amara, Path and the other clan elders ran to him and when they got there he was sweating. Tuwani the mermaid clan leader held his forehead and she looked at the others. "We need to get him to the coldest place right now!" She ordered. Nile looked at them shocked. Pea who sat outside the boundary with Adara quickly ran back to her master's side. "The coldest place in the valley of the dead. It is outside the boundary and he is weak." Amara reminded the elder. "If we do not take him there, then there is no telling what will happen to him. His phoenix energy is too hot." She told them. Nile held Khari tighter in his arms. He was afraid. Khari was hot and he was drenched in sweat. "Is it the heart curse? Did I do this to him?" Nile asked in tears. Path held his shoulder. "It is not the heart curse. I think it has more to do with the tree. We need to go now!" Tuwani told them. Chamu took Khari from Nile and he gave him to one of the vampires to carry him. "You are cold blooded Jay. Go, don't stop until you get to the ponds in the valley of the dead. We right behind you."Chamu told the vampire as he put Khari on his back. "Let me come with you." The elder of the werewolves volunteered and she went with them. "I need to go with him!" Nile told them as he followed them but Amara pulled him back. "You are human and you can't live in the valley of the dead. You stay here with Pea. I will protect him with my life." Amara assured Nile who nodded his head in tears. Amara left with, Path and Chamu. They followed them to the valley of the dead, Pea hugged Nile and he just let his tears stream down his cheeks. "Why do you think this tree affects him so much Pea?" He asked her and she just looked at him without any answer. The supernaturals in the dark forest came to gather around the tree to pray for Khari and Nile just broke down in tears. Pea held him tighter and comforted him.
The guardians got news that Khari had been sick and had set off to the valley of the dead. Imani knew it was time to strike her brother dead. She assembled her guards and set off to the valley. They went and waited for them in the valley. The vampire who had Khari on his back smelled Guardian blood and he knew danger lurked. He changed course and hid within his shadows. The guardians were waiting for them by the ponds and when they approached the ponds Imani stood there. Jay who still carried Khari on his back took a few steps back with the werewolf guarding his back. The two of them knew they had to protect Khari even though they were surrounded. "This is not your fight! I just need my brother and you can leave unharmed." Imani told the two supernatural beings. "This is my fight Imani, if you want him then you go through me." Jay said to Imani as he placed Khari on the ground. "You'd die for him? You don't even know him!" She mocked him and he smiled at her. "I know my world needs him. And that is all I need." He replied back to her. She scoffed at him. "So be it vampire. You will die here with your master." She told him as she pointed her sword at him. Her guards ran towards the vampire and the werewolves. "We need to fight them off until the rest of our people get here." Danai the werewolf told Jay. The two of them fought the Guardians trying to protect Khari. The valley of the dead was the coldest place in the world. Khari's body lay there in trance. It was as if he was dead but he wasn't. because of the cold his water magic took control of his body and he became so cold freezing the ground around him. Imani saw this and she began walking avoiding the fight. She held a dagger in her hand. The werewolf and the vampire were overpowered by the Guardians and held in capture. Imani looked at them. "I am not here to kill you. I have bigger fish to fry." She told them as she took the dagger out.
She walked closer to Khari with her dagger out, when she got closer she looked at him in his sleep mode. She took a closer look and she swore he looked like their mother. She shed a tear when she looked at him. He was like the perfect image of both her parents yet he was also her number one enemy. She lifter her hands with the dagger ready to stab him. When she was about to stab him her dagger was stopped by a familiar spear. It was a Guardian. She lifted her head and saw Adara stopping her with her spear. Imani was shocked at this kind of betrayal. She hissed with anger. "Adara!" She hissed through her teeth. "I can not allow you to kill him, your highness." Adara told Imani blatantly and Imani opened her eyes wide. She was furious, hurt and felt betrayed. "Do you dare disobey your queen's orders! How dare you!" She screamed at Adara who didn't move her spear from the dagger. "I won't allow you to make this mistake." Adara replied her queen with conviction. Imani took her whip and sword out and began fighting with Adara. Adara fought back to stop her queen from killing Khari. Imani hit Adara with her whip making her spit blood. She fell on her knees but still put her hand in front of Khari to protect him. Imani scoffed. "Adara, why are you doing this?!" She asked her almost in tears. "You can't kill him. Please!" She begged her queen but Imani got even more furious. "Take her away from him!" She ordered the other guards who walked and dragged Adara away. Adara begged her queen one last time but Imani didn't pay attention. She lifter her dagger again to stab Khari. "I am so sorry but I will not let you leave. The world is not safe." She said to him quietly and she screamed as she stabbed Khari. Her dagger was about to stab Khari's heart when ice formed all over his heart, the force from the dagger pushed Imani away from him and she fell on the ground. She slowly got up surprised how water was protecting him she slowly got up to get her dagger but Chamu and the others arrived. It was now snowing and the cold was rising. "You do not want to be here. We will all die here from the cold and Khari will be the only one left." Tuwani warned the young queen who looked around and knew she was telling her the truth. Imani took hint. "This is not over!" She told them and she disappeared from them. The vampire and werewolf were left with them. "They took Adara, they will kill her." Jay told the others.
Tuwani carried Khari into the ponds and she let his body float in the water as she chanted her marine clan chants. "His body is fighting the energies within him. He is not opening up to the them so they have become a force that are struggling inside him." She explained to the others. She allowed his body temperature to rise until it was back to it normal temperature. Khari slowly opened his eyes and he saw himself in a pond with a mermaid. He was wet and he held on to Tuwani who helped him out of the pond. The others rushed to him and helped him sit on the ground. He looked around and he didn't know this place. "This is the valley of the dead. The greatest battle between gods was here. Many died and it has been cold eversince." Tuwani explained to Khari. "Thank you. Is Nile okay?" He asked and they nodded. "Nile is okay but we don't think Adara will be okay." Danai told him. Khari didn't understand so she went on to explain. "She saved your life and fought her queen. We all know Guardians don't let go of treachery that easy." They all looked at each other worried about Adara. She had been friendly to Pea and they all had just gronw to like her. They helped Khari up and he teleported everyone home. "I really wish I had your powers to teleport." Chamu joked with him and he just smiled at him. When they arrived at the dark forest Nile was sitting with Pea and the others in front of the tree praying. He saw Khari and he ran and threw himself in his arms. Khari hugged him tight and kissed him on the head. "I am okay, I am sorry I scared you again." He apologized to Nile but Nile held him even tighter. He held him in his arms and walked with him in his arms. Pea ran to her master and she hugged him tight. He pat her on the head and smiled. Everyone in the forest stood up when they saw Khari. they were all relieved he was okay. Path took her sister's hand. She wanted to tell her Adara was taken. "Adara was taken in by the Guardians. She protected master from the queen. She might be sentenced to death." Path told Pea. Pea's eyes filled with tears and clutched her hands in anger. "We need to save her!" She told Path but Path shook her head. "We can not save her Pea." She told her. It was dangerous and the Guardians knew they world better and it would be too risky for them. Pea broke down in tears and sobbed. Amara hugged her and she stayed there sobbing for a while.