Hayden
After an immediate formal announcement, Dakshinpur bustled with activity. Despite Ira Zutshi spending the entire time opening and securing the Gates for fast and easy transport, streets were hemmed with throngs of people and carriages full of luggage. Bit by bit, through internal migration, the people of Sharad risked their way toward Rawat. Sometimes squashing and crushing amongst themselves, rushing off in a hurry to get to the safer place and away from the creatures. They were just so many in number. There were creatures above and hurrying people on the ground. Earth and sky were full of chaos and confusion.
"This is a huge risk," Yuvan mumbled suddenly.
Both of us were standing underneath the shade of the tree to escape the bitterness of the frosty snowfall and watching Sharad's knights well-regulating the movements of the people and helping them descend into the manhole- the entrance to the hidden dynasty. Vibrations, undulations, and strange sounds came from below the ground. The fusion was quickly being achieved.
"I know," I replied. "But it's a calculated one."
"Your Majesty, there's hardly a place for another clan to fit in our underground shelter let alone an entire dynasty."
"Pruthvi and his Constellia are in the process to provide you with more space. They are willing to build more bunkers for you. You don't have to make any more life adjustments, Yuvan. Just live collectively and help each other out, that's all I ask."
He breathed a long sigh, then cast a glance about me. "For how long?"
My mouth felt dry. That was a good question. "Could be a month, or two, or a year. I can't say."
"Not so reassuring."
"You cannot forget the support Sharad has provided you for all these years. In a crisis like this, you should able to honor the debts more than ever."
He blinked into the sudden blustery wind and nodded, although disapprovingly.
"I got a job for you," I continued, slightly shivering and keeping my eyes on a single creature that had taken a sudden nose-dive and then flew back and forth like waves. "I've seen your archers and shooters. They're all well-trained and equally admirable. But I want you to choose your best ones without being in favor of anyone. Give me the names by the end of this week and I shall officially have their titles and clans changed. You hear?"
He stood mouth gaped, letting out a faint hissing sound and staring unblinkingly.
"What?"
"That's the job for a Noble Knight," he whispered with desperation. "Does that mean...are you making it official?"
I smiled, detecting an impish glint dancing in his eyes. Probably it was best not to raise his hopes too much already. "You're still too young, Yuvan. Panchayat will have a problem with a young inexperienced Noble Knight being on duty for a young inexperienced king. But the tradition says the spot is reserved for you. So, I'm willing to take a chance and let you undergo a probationary period until you're fully qualified. However, if you do a bad job, I'll fire you without hesitation. Deal?"
"You bet!" he squealed, flinging up his hands and clapping. "Thank you! Thank you!"
"Perfect," I said, looking back up at the creature still flying up and down. "Another thing." I handed him the tiny metal key to our apartment. "Meet me in my room the day after tomorrow. Same time. Got something for you and Singh to work on."
"Singh?" He gasped. "As in your Constellia, the lion?"
"Yes. Any problem?"
"Uh-huh! Normal people like me still find lions a bit too scary, Your Majesty."
"He's not scary once you get to know him. Besides, you've no option but to find a way to confront your fears. Shouldn't that be the primary skill of a Noble Knight? I'm about to put both of you in charge of something important and this will not work without the collaboration of you two."
"Alright," he said, dropping his eyes to the ground.
"Get to work now. I'll see you later."
There was a mammoth of tasks at hand and for the next two days my friends, Constellia and I spent helping people safely move. Just like Doctor had dreamt to see, we worked as a team by assigning each of us a different task, working towards the same goal.
Pruthvi extended the catacomb and laid the groundwork to build bunkers. Leena joined the knight and allotted equal space for families and clans. Celina and Ashwant supervised those other clans of Rawat that had once refused to live underground - the Clan of Vaquero and Matsyasvi. In the past, their former king had granted permission to live by choice and now they refused to move in the present even after knowing the severity of the situation. They might be ready to die, but I wasn't ready to see them dead.
"It's non-negotiable," I told them flatly. "Survive first. Leave it to me and King Aghasthya if it's about the matter of provisions."
That became an immediate cause for a start of a protest. "But we're not used to living underground!" and such.
"You will now!" I bellowed before the untimely protests became inflammatory. "Dismissed!"
With that, Celina and Ashwant's task became much easier to bring into action.
In the midst of Celina's pursuit to move her clan, she spared a bit of time alone in her renovated garden-styled hut, driven by emotion and having no clue how to deal with the matter. "I just need time to think," she would say in a nutshell on being asked.
To Tyrell, despite being at his usual frenetic pace, the immense pressure of carrying the load as an outsider began rendering undue stress on him. During the mornings, he patrolled the streets of the Paschimgarh under the tight control of his king, and by evening he brought himself to regard his friendship commitments. Apart from that, consciously he was aware that a couple of Sergeants were keeping constant watch over him. He pretended to be clueless though, yet keeping a watchful eye on every knight that crossed his path. "September the eighth," he said, sourly. "Things may change once I clear my name in the upcoming trial. It's no big deal. I'll be fine." Deep down, everyone knew he wasn't.
Then there was someone who advantageously positioned himself to participate in our routines. The next day, after my briefing with King Aghasthya and before I contacted Tyrell to open Gates for me to get back to the apartment, Dhanunjay came running. His tight colorful jacket held back his saggy bits of fat, giving him a slimmer silhouette, his face a shade of sullenness. I offered my hello with a friendly smile and waited as he took deep intakes to catch his breath.
"Can we talk?" he huffed, and not in the usual commanding voice that he'd loved to showcase to Samagraha.
"Sure."
He squinted for a bit, brows drawing closer before he hurriedly said, "How did the meeting with King Aghasthya go?"
Both of us were uncertain what to say, it seemed. "Very well, I guess."
"Did he allow you to use Sharad's underground cell?"
I stared and tried not to sound off-hand. "Eavesdropping on our conversations is not very advisable, Dhanunjay."
"I was only waiting for you," he said, apologetically. "And happened to overhear."
"Why were you waiting?"
He took a moment before saying, "I know you're now a King with a flashy resume to have killed Shaytup Rup and annihilate the entire Clan of Almourah. Everyone keeps talking about your accomplishments and that you're destined to go further and beyond..."
"I hope this does not disrupt the friendship you and I built this past year," I interrupted. "Nothing of these accomplishments matters if I keep losing people I care about, right?"
He looked up, eyes a bit widened. "Do you mean it?"
"Of course! What's the matter?"
"I want to help you," he said, standing uncomfortable in his place. "I want to be a part of your team too. If I'm any use to you all, that is."
The corners of my mouth twitched. "Thanks for the offer. And I do need your help. And it's a very difficult task, mind you." I put a hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed. "Take care of my aunt? I know she's worried about me, and desperately in need of a few answers but doesn't realize that she's actually the one more in trouble. Shashi Thribhuvan has gotten way unpredictable. Need I say more?"
He accepted with a huge contented smile as if his happier days were just around the corner. Little did I know that Dhanunjay was not the only unforeseen person reaching out to me to offer help. That evening was proof that a helping hand can after all come from extremely unlikely sources.
-----------------------
The snowfall for the day had concluded right after my meeting with Singh and Yuvan. The premise and the porch were shrouded in white with a touch of silvery sheen underneath the moonlit sky. Shadowy dark patches were meandering with the movements of the flying creatures. Now that the apartments were empty, the dynasty, on the whole, being void of the scared people, it was noticeably quiet. A bit too awkwardly quieter than the graveyard.
It was late in the night and Pruthvi was still engaged in building more bunkers, while the rest three were spending much-needed quality time with the baby Viraj over dinner. Before we gathered to have another round of detailed discourse, I'd retired to my bedroom early, feeling the need to sit alone and have preliminary training for myself.
A candle and a match-box, that was all I needed, two basic gadgets. The flame sizzled as I lit the candle, the wick flickering, and the glow made my shadow jitter on the wall. I took a long breath before going for it, readying myself. The candle flame seemed simple but it put me on the thin ice, taking me back to those days when I was subjected to Almourah's brutal ordeal involving natural fire.
Then I swiped my finger through the flame fairly at a rapid rate. Warm and itchy. I swiped again. The same. I brought my finger closer to the flame and held it there for a second or two. Heat fluctuated. Three seconds and four. Heat scorched, starting to give me pins and needles. A sharp blistering sensation and I instantly removed my finger, hissing and grumbling. The damn thing was just too hot.
My stone burned.
How could I ever fight a creature if I couldn't stand the heat from a tiny flame of natural fire? The only way possible was to defend myself using my fire as a shield of protection. But how would that beat off the competition? I practiced anyway, suppressing the muffled gasps escaping my throat while my fingers charred, determined and unwilling to get away from the heat source, mind fixated to churn out ideas for new tricks. Think! Think! Or was I, not the right Samagraha to have a fight-until-death match with Agnidaanav at all?
"That's suicide!" Leena's shrill loud voice made me jump.
The three of them had walked in and I never knew when. I pulled my finger away, nearly chucking the candle onto the table. My fingers were red and swollen and I started to feel my blood rushing to repair the damaged skin.
A screech peeled off overhead, circling the residential area. A gust of icy wind whipped across the room making the window panes rattle and putting out the flame. An irked Celina took long steps forward and bolted shut the window. She snatched the candle away, glaring hard at me. The swish of the wind died down and quietness turned too eerie and unworldly.
"Where's the kid?" I asked Leena.
"Nice try. Don't want to talk about what you were up to, huh?" She said, twisting her jaw. "Anyway, kid's with Ira Zutshi. She's a fine babysitter."
Tyrell sat down on the floor to fix glasses of soda for the four of us. "What was it you wanted to talk about?" he asked.
"About that, right? Well, I've been thinking..." I said, trying to get my mind off the pain. "...now that both the dynasties are safe, nothing's left to keep us behind from getting to Shashi's tomb. Except for Panchayat, of course."
"What about the rest of the provinces?" Celina asked, sitting beside Leena on the bed. "Don't they need to be in the safe zone too?"
"I brought that subject to my King's attention," Tyrell said, passing out glasses. The chilliness of which acted like a soothing gel on my skin. "He's aware of Pruthvi's building bunkers. And when I had to inform him that it was Hayden's idea he immediately shot me down and asked to come up with a better solution."
Leena shook her head. "When you want to draw an analogy between Shashi's insanity and these kings' idiocy."
"And their pathological need to be the center of attention," jibed Celina.
Tyrell added, "Well, you can't fix stupid."
"The problem right now is not about these Kings holding sway over their dynasties and I hope High King sees to them," I said and leaned forward in my chair. "Look, before we set off to find Shashi's tomb, I need the four of you to get trained, master quite a few skills, and create new abilities of your own. I already had a chat with Pruthvi, so he knows and is already on it."
They sat seized at their spot by an awful curiosity. "Go on," Celina said.
"Here's the list. Number one, try and tolerate hunger," I said. "Appetite is a Samagrahas' biggest shortcoming. And anyone, including the kings of the country, can advantage of it. So we better put efforts to overcome it."
"How?" asked Leena.
"By keeping your stone away from you."
Tyrell gasped. "That will kill us!"
"We don't die, Tyrell," I said. "Trust me, it's difficult but not impossible. I had a few months of self-training while dealing with Almourah. Unfortunately, you have only a few days at hand. So do your best but do it. The longer we resist hunger, the longer we fight."
"But what if we had to fight and don't have access to our stones?"
"Hand over your stones to your Constellia. And ask them to monitor your movements. We can do this at least until Panchayat assigns Constellia to patrol around the provinces once again."
Tyrell worriedly took a deep swig, while Celina resolutely nodded. She knew the pain, she'd dealt with Almourah too.
"Number two," I said. "Only Tyrell among us knows how to open the Gates. That's pretty cool but not sufficient. We all have to learn how to use the powder. It's the best way to escape in case of trouble."
"Oh well, that should be a piece of cake," said Tyrell, shrugging, and sitting comfortably down cross-legged.
"Good," I said. "And lastly, we all have to learn to use our Formation while flying high in the open air." I pointedly looked aside at Hardik resting beside my table. "That gadget is not cowardly anymore, and it all depends on the way we converse with it. So whenever and whoever finds time, please get the training."
The three of them took a brief glance at the carpet.
"Now let's talk about individual talents," I caught Celina's eyes first. "I know you're the best among us. You have a huge bag of tricks at your fingertips, including the power to destroy the entire mountain. But what if you're in a situation where you didn't have to destroy the mountain but a single rock that you can hardly see?"
"What do you mean?"
"Aim," I said. "You have to learn how to aim. I've been thinking, just because Shashi isn't able to use his creatures against us doesn't mean he wouldn't look for another chance to strike. During such situations, our Formations cannot be the reason for further devastation. We're still all under Panchayat's radar for all those unfortunate murders. There's no point in taking any more risks."
"I understand," she said, her facial features a bit hard. "I'll get with Yuvan and see if can give me some tips."
"Perfect," I said and then turned to Leena. "Whatever I'm about to tell you may sound a bit intimidating."
"I'm scared already."
"Listen to me," I said quickly, suppressing a chuckle. "When I was traveling across the bridge to Uttarameer and had that first encounter with Almourah, he used water in the shape of Agnidaanav to scare me off. Water against fire, that's what he did. If he can create such a thing, I'm guessing you can too."
She looked away, blinking hard. "I don't know. Can I?"
"Try," I said, "A water creature that could distract these creatures away from people, could be our biggest defensive weapon, especially against the original Agnidaanav if it's out there somewhere. Get with Ashwant if you want a bit of training or feel the need to talk about techniques."
She nodded, although halfheartedly.
"Should I be intimidated too?" Tyrell asked jokingly.
"We need maps, Tyrell," I said, "Detailed maps of the basements built between Dakshinpur and Paschimgarh, illustrating all kinds of entrances, blockages, the exact meeting point of Uilani and Selvyn hills. I know the location is hidden in a deep forest area with streams and lakes, so we will need to know the safer and easier routes to venture through and learn them by heart. Also, if any kind of dark magic is being used to stop us from entering."
He scratched at his chin bemusedly. "For that, I'll have to secretly roam around basements to jog more of Rahu's memories."
"We'll go together," I said. "Let's sneak off during the midnights wearing all black. And while we're there, let's take a mental picture of how many men are at the service of Shashi and guarding the surroundings. I wouldn't mind if we capture one or two for our benefit. The only thing we have to make sure that you don't spill your blood, things may get extra dangerous if you do."
"Let's go tomorrow morning. I'm ready."
"If you ought to do that," Celina said. "Do not forget about the Sergeants breathing down both of y'all necks."
"Hayden," Leena said, her voice nearing a whisper. "When did you plan all these?"
I sighed, leaning back, and relaxingly had my first swig of soda. "Just like I mentioned, I've been contemplating and making plans for an all-out effort to put Shashi six feet under as soon as possible."
"Without even sleeping a wink," Celina added. "I've been watching you."
I smiled. "Sleep is far off my mind."
She raised her brow. "That's because you're in a funk."
"Am I?"
"Just like those days when you lost your parents," Tyrell mumbled filling up his glass, avoiding eye contact.
Now that statement was a bit of an exaggeration, was it not? Although, I had to admit that I was downhearted and the pain caused by that unforgettable stab still lingered. But was I really suffering that much from blues? There was yet another dangerous journey to undertake. One last time if luck permitted. And to bring her back being my first stop even if she refused to return. I needed to wrap my mind around the tactic she'd used to stop Shashi from nuking the country. It was all well-planned till there, only an organized execution remained which didn't seem daunting. But what bothered me more, was what was going to happen after she came back.
There was a sudden timid knock on the door, sounding loud in the quietness, and that made the four of us sit back straight, fully attentive. Tyrell stood up and went ahead to open the door. I assumed Pruthvi had come in, finally calling it a day. But to my surprise, Yuvan showed himself with a stricken look stamped on his face. "There is someone here to see you," he said, articulating quickly and his voice a bit shaky.
"Who is it?"
He hurried inside, as though wanting to disclose a secret. "You won't believe who's hell-bent on having a private rendezvous with you. He spotted me on my way home and bless the Deity if he'd let go. He dragged me all the way back to Sharad. How mean!"
"Yuvan," I said, my voice calculatedly calm but demanding. "Who is it?"
"It's Purvachand's Chief Minister, Sir Yai Henba."
-x-