(Book 2) Hayden Mackay and The Tears of the Maiden

5. Comalica Virus

"Guys, look," said Leena suddenly.

I followed her gaze and watched the gates of the court open, making a rusty sound. Leena and Celina stood watching it open. An outline of a person walking towards us appeared. I wished it was King Aghasthya but as it came closer I was kind of disappointed.

"Hey Dananjay!" said Pruthvi, "How are you do....what are you wearing?"

I bit my tongue to hold back a roar of laughter when I had a real good look at him. Tyrell however, couldn't control himself and hid behind Celina sniggering. Leena and Celina giggled too. Dananjay, the son of a minister, was in his multi colored baggy pants with long, knee length, wobbly maroon colored shirt and a pajama cap on his head sagging down till it reached his shoulders. He was holding a lollipop toffee in his right palm. He looked nothing lesser than a big buffoon.

"Hello Pruthvi," he said cheerfully, "I see you are back...again...this time with your friends."

"Hi Dananjay," I and Tyrell said together. He looked at the girls and his eyes flew open when he spotted Leena.

"Hi," she said feeling awkward when he ogled at her licking his toffee.

"She is not whom you think she is," said Pruthvi standing in between them, "Are we welcome inside?"

"No, sorry," he said bluntly.

Well, that was not what we expected.

"Why not?" Pruthvi asked disappointingly.

"Because King Aghasthya strictly ordered not to let anyone inside."

"Then why are you here?" asked Tyrell rolling his eyes.

"To inform you that no one is allowed inside," he snapped, "I have been watching you from my room and I thought you needed help."

"That was not the kind of help we were looking for," I said, "We really want to meet King Aghasthya."

"He is not in any position to talk to you guys," he said dully.

"And why is that?"

"You don't know?" he said raising his eye brows, "Princess Lithika is being diagnosed from a disease."

"Even her?" Leena asked shocked, "What kind of disease is this?"

"A very dreadful one," he said, "It's called Comalica Virus."

"A what?" asked Tyrell.

"Oh! You people from America could not know anything about it. It's very rare in the outside world and one major disease in the forgotten Kingdom. There is a legend behind the disease."

He paused there. We wanted to know more about the disease but it seemed Dananjay was done talking.

"Oh, you want me to tell about the disease?" he asked, looking at our expectant faces.

"Yes." We five chorused.

"Oh! My bad! I thought you weren't interested in the topic so I didn't continue and also..."

"Can we get back to the topic please," said Tyrell folding his hands.

"Yes, where were we? Yeah, right. So my father told me that the Lady Chandrika was the first to suffer from the disease. It is said, that she was cursed by the deities for breaking the rule."

"What rule?"

"She wasn't allowed to have kids."

"Oh!"

"Why not?" asked Leena showing a lot interest than us.

"Legend has it that she and only she, was chosen to possess the stone that Doctor is master of; and it was not supposed to be passed down. But she fell in love and had thirteen kids. Plus she didn't stop with that; she proceeded to make stones of different hues, each with a single power for her children. The Deities were very angry with Chandrika that they demanded her to give the diamond back and to destroy the other stones she had created. When she refused to do that, they declared war against her and her children. Obviously Chandrika was defeated and as a punishment for disobeying them, she was cursed to suffer painfully by this deadly virus, and it turns out to be the reason for her death."