Eleutheromania- Aru Shah (On 'Hiatus')

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒮𝒾𝓍

Aru made her way to the twins and checked out Nikita. She had a cut on her forehead and a scrape on her arm. "Nikita," Mini said, gently shaking her.

Nikita stirred, and her eyes slowly opened. "Am I laying in leaves?"

"Yeah," Mini smiled.

"That is disgusting." 

Nikita stood up, feeling a little dizzy while she did. Sheela held her and kept her up.

The wind blew more, and Aru looked over her shoulder. Shadows ran in between the trees and the leaves lying on the forest floor.

"He's here," Aru said more to herself than anyone else.

"What?" Mini asked, turning to Aru.

"Nikita, Sheela, get out of here. It's not safe for you two."

"What?" Sheela asked. "We need you. You can't make us leave."

"We can defend ourselves, thank you," Nikita said snottily. "Just because we're younger, doesn't mean we're any weaker than you two."

"We will find you again. You need to go. This isn't a joke," Aru said, her voice becoming more firm. "He's here."

Then, it clicked for the twins. "Nikita, we need to go," Sheela said. Then, they disappeared through a portal.

"I don't need children getting hurt," Kara said. Mini and Aru turned to her, and Mini took out her glaive.

'Where are you guys? We could use some help,' Aru asked through the mind link.

'A little preoccupied, Shah. We have a visitor.'

'Yeah. We know.'

Kara's form flickered and Aru noticed something. She saw a glimpse of two different colored eyes. 

It couldn't be, could it? Aru knew the Sleeper could shapeshift, but only to change his appearance, not change who he looked like. But, anything was possible nowadays. 

'You're with Kara, right?' Aru asked.

'Yeah? Why?'

'It just means I'm right.'

"You were always so clever, Arundhati," Suyodhana smiled, changing back to his normal form.

He grew a good five or so inches from Kara's height. His hair was its usual dark color, and his eyes showed his inner anger and urge. He sent Aru a side smile and she saw his pointy canine tooth.

"You'd be valuable to me," he said, tilting his head slightly up to look down at her and prove his superiority over her.

"I'm not an item. I have no price tag on me."

"It's a shame you have no weapon. You have no idea who you are. You have no clue who you are destined to be. You'll never unlock whatever's in that pesky ring."

"I'm not going to be like you if that is what you're insinuating."

"Of course, you will be. The saying goes like father, like daughter."

"Some father you were," Aru mumbled. "We don't have anything you want. You already took everything from us."

Suyodhana went to reach toward Aru and Mini raised her glaive. "I don't think so," she said, glaring up at him. 

He laughed a little and retracted his hand. "Kara is taking care of your little friends, and the twins are in good care. No need to be hostile."

"Where did you send them?" Aru asked through gritted teeth.