Rajasi: The Legendary Lion

• "Hello, my little friend. You have been spying on me for days!" Rajasi said quietly.
  "Yes, m'lord, I have been. Forgive me for the intrusion." The lion stared at her with something akin to kindness. "I am Rajasi. What is your name?"
• Janushi Raichura

D eep inside the forest of Gir lived a magical lion named Rajasi. The entire forest lived in terror of the lion; men and animals alike. He was believed to be ageless, with purple eyes that glowed like gemstones, and a roar fierce enough to knock out enemies with sound alone.
In the stories, it was said that Rajasi lived at the heart of the forest, in a cave half-submerged in a small pond, surrounded by bushes, making it impossible for any creature to enter the area.
Those who attempted to enter were devoured by Rajasi.
The hunters often attempted to go after Rajasi, but returned defeated by nature itself. A legend said that the eyes of Rajasi were worth millions!
One day, a young woodpecker heard the story and decided to explore on her own. She flew from tree to tree across the forest, and many warned her to stop, but she did not sway.
There was more to the quote 'curiosity killed the cat'; it ended with, 'but satisfaction brought it back'.
The woodpecker spent a week getting to the heart of the jungle. She did not build a nest, for she could not risk making noise and getting caught, so she used leaves to hide from the storms and spent her time on branches observing the cave.
For the first two days, there was no movement. No one entered or left the cave. The woodpecker was eager to believe that it was all a myth and that there was no one inside.
However, on the third day, there came rustling from the bushes surrounding the cave.
A deer entered slowly, cautiously, peeking inside the cave. It fluidly stepped into the water and carefully walked to the entrance of the cave. It carefully entered the cave, and it was only half inside when it was snatched inside.
The woodpecker shrieked.
The deer disappeared.
A while later, the lion came out, walking slowly, looking too old to be able to survive on his own. He tossed out a few bones, and then turned to the woodpecker.
The woodpecker would've flown away immediately if she hadn't noticed the lack of shining purple eyes.
She cocked her head to one side and stared at Rajasi.
"Hello, my little friend. You have been spying on me for days!" Rajasi said quietly.
"Yes, m'lord, I have been. Forgive me for the intrusion."
The lion stared at her with something akin to kindness. "I am Rajasi. What is your name?"
"I do not have a name."
"Every warrior does. Yours should be Rajika!" The woodpecker was too afraid to object. "Are you afraid of me, Rajika?"
"Yes, m'lord. I have heard legends of your greatness, and they make me tremble with fear."
"Well, as you can see, Rajika, they are all but legends. I am old, on my deathbed, my strength long gone.
My sustenance is the fools who invite themselves into a lion's den. Are you a fool, Rajika?" The question wasn't mocking at all, and he answered it himself. "No, I think not. Every king falls. And so did I. Immortality is a lie and a mad man's quest. My great-great-grandfather was also named Rajasi, and since his time, people have been visiting this very same cave, looking for magic. And we have never had to leave our homes in search of food."
"That is awfully clever," the woodpecker remarked.
"All fools deserve a fool's end."
And that was when Rajika gained an identity, knowledge, and wisdom one could only dream of.