Paviraa rushed towards her but her body's glow began to flicker and mid-stride the radiance vanished. She stumbled and fell as she was not strong enough to maintain such high levels of energy for so long. Nyx meanwhile wore the glass around her neck and she began to transform. The earth around her began to rumble and pitch black dust arose from it wrapping her with a black glossy garb. She raised her hands in the air and her riding crop flew into her palm. Purple lightening began to strike randomly and one such bolt struck dangerously close to where Paviraa had fallen. Omar and I dragged Paviraa away from Nyx and all this madness. The rumbling stopped and Nyx pointed her riding crop at us. Nothing happened.
Paviraa began to cough loudly. Mary stood behind her with her arm wrapped around Paviraa's neck in a choke hold. She struggled to break free. Mary looked at us with a smile. We tried to close-in to stop her but she choked Paviraa harder when we tried to move closer.
Mary said, "Be a dear and hand over your cores to lady Nyx, or else this bitch dies."
Omar said, "Mary, stop, please don't do this."
Paviraa struggled to break free but to no avail.
"Come on, it's all over now. Hand over your cores to lady Nyx so that she can grow stronger. If you sacrifice your lives she might let me and Paviraa live," Mary replied with a fiendish expression about her face.
Omar had tears in his eyes. He knew not what had to be done, but still tried to reason.
"Mary, what has happened to you? Please let her go. Don't do this please," Omar said.
Paviraa was getting short of breath. Her face began to turn blue she would faint within a minute if nothing was done.
I said, "Omar that is not Mary. Nyx can control the dead. Paviraa you know what to do,"
Paviraa looked at me with a tear rolling down her cheeks.
"You won't hurt your poor little friend, will you? How cruel," Mary spoke.
Paviraa closed her eyes and muttered under her breath. Mary's eyes widened. She released the hand that choked Paviraa and looked at her hands get burnt into ashes. Paviraa looked at her friend one last time as she coughed and tried to breathe again.
"Why you little, how could you hurt your own friend? You are such a--" Mary uttered her last words as she turned into a pile of ashes.
We all turned towards Nyx. She stood at a distance watching this entire event unfold. With a devilish smile she glared at us. None of us had any reserves of energy to fight, evade or even conjure much from our cores. I had just one last card up my sleeve. Krodhaksh.
It is time. I don't have enough energy to enable a fair fight between you and her. But I can give you a small chance.
I thought, "What do you mean?"
Your weapon, you still don't understand its true potential. Nor do you have the strength to mould or wield it. I think I can grant you the strength needed to do so. The core you have is a blank canvas. Once you use it, it re-moulds into the shape of a weapon that suits you. Your true weapon is not a baton or a stick. You just have not been able to raise its true form. I will let you invoke it. Your real weapon is the Chandrahas. But you must ensure to use it to strike her. You won't get a second chance.
I spoke to Omar and Paviraa. We had just one shot to execute our plan. If this didn't work, it meant certain death: or eternal servitude towards an evil woman. We began.
I focused on my weapon-core and it lengthened into the wooden baton like before. Krodhaksh then sent surges of his energy through my hands into my core. The wooden baton got wrapped by threads of fine black silk. A metal spike formed on the base of it as the pommel. A three foot long crescent shape blade formed at the other end. The spine of the blade was decorated with inscriptions: and along the length of the blade were studded 10 black onyx stones, the same as my core. It was magnificent. The long grip and metal fang at the bottom helped balance the extremely top-heavy sword. I held the perpendicular handle on the long grip and lifted it up. I could see a reflection of my face in each of the 10 polished gemstones. I saw Nyx shudder when she saw my weapon.
"I recognise that blade," Nyx said, "I don't know where you got it from but you don't have the strength to wield it. You might feel energized, but remember, you feel more alive than when you face death, and I am yours. Come face me."
"Omar, Paviraa, let's go," I said.
Omar flung a rock at Nyx aggressively. Just as she was going to parry it, Paviraa shot it with her flame and blasted it into pieces. Sharp shards of stones hit Nyx on her body but did barely any damage. She was too strong for such feeble attacks.
Paviraa stayed behind and shot two more balls of flames at Nyx. But missed hitting the target and hit the floor near her kicking up a cloud of dust. Omar and me closed in towards Nyx.
Omar lunged at Nyx face-first trying to bite her head off, while I swung my Chandrahas in an arc to strike her from the other side. She grabbed hold of Omar by his neck and blocked my blade with her riding crop.
Nyx shouted, "I see through your silly plots. Two men attack me from either side while the girl stays in the back safe and sound trying to distract me. Such weak women should never be allowed on the battle field."
"Who are you calling weak?" Paviraa who was disguised in my robe wielding my weapon asked Nyx.
Nyx's eyes widened, in shock. She looked at the figure at a distance wearing Paviraa's robe loosely and realised what was happening but it was too late.
The real me, swung the real Chandrahas vertically from behind her. As the blade swung, it left behind its after image trailing behind in a metallic glow. I cut her cleanly into two parts. She held on to the grip on Omar and her weapon while her two halves fell to the floor.
*****
FEW MINUTES AGO
Omar picked up a huge rock and threw it towards Nyx. She just raised her riding crop and was about to effortlessly parry it away. Paviraa shot the rock with her fire and shattered it into pieces. The pieces accelerated with the impact and shards of sharp rock shot through the cloud of dust and rained on Nyx.
While she was hidden behind the cover of dust, I tossed the weapon and my robe to Paviraa. Omar picked up a long piece of wood and struck its base into the ground. Paviraa covered the log with her robe and wore mine. Paviraa shot two more weak shots of flame on the floor near Nyx's feet to kick up more dust. Paviraa and Omar rushed at Nyx from two sides like a pincer attack while I hid behind the robe-covered log and unfurled Cherry. Omar and Paviraa both closed in to attack her from either side.
"Cherry speed mode. Take me in a straight line keeping me hidden behind the robe covered log around the underside of the island," I said as I stepped on Cherry.
Nyx grabbed hold of both Omar and Paviraa as I had expected. Meanwhile, I flew to the underside of the floating island and came out from the other side.
"Sir, speed mode will last only another 3 seconds this time," Cherry replied.
"That's plenty," I answered.
Nyx replied, "I see through your silly plots. Two men attack me from either side while the girl stays in the back safe and sound trying to distract me. Such weak women should never be allowed on the battle field."
"Who are you calling weak?" Paviraa replied.
That was my cue. I had mumbled 'Anukaran' and created a copy of my weapon core earlier. Paviraa took the fake one while I took the real one. I felt Krodhaksh give me another surge of energy as I extended my Chandrahas and flew swiftly towards Nyx with my Speed mode.
I swung my blade vertically downwards. The top heavy nature of the blade accelerated its movement leaving behind a shining after-image. The sword cut cleanly through her body and I felt no resistance whatsoever, as if it sliced through nothing. Her body was split apart into two pieces and fell down while still holding onto the riding crop and Omar's neck.
Her body began to wither before our eyes. Slowly crackling and bursting into small purple sparks. As her hands withered, Omar's neck was released from the vice grip of her hands. All of us stepped away to avoid getting shocked by her jolts. I was still expecting some more. This day turned out to be far more relentless than I expected.
You can loosen your grip on the blade. It is over, time for us to return.
Her body soon faded with a purple glow: leaving behind no signs of her except the green ring. I walked towards it and bent forward to pick it up. As soon as I touched it, it shattered and I saw Nyx.
"You killed me and you have the scroll now. But we still have the other scroll. How will you stop 'him' from unleashing his wrath? Aaaaaahhhhh ha ha ha ha ha ha," Nyx spoke as her image faded away from my mind.
When I came out from my vision, I found that riding crop had shrunk down into a small golden scroll. I tried to open the scroll but I felt the energy being drained out of me.
I said," Let's take this to the old man. I don't think we can open this on our own."
The rest of them nodded. The whole world around us began to glow with the same purple light, like Nyx's and appeared to bend and flex. A pitch black hole opened near us and we were sucked into it. It hurled us out the other side.
We found ourselves fallen down on the floor of my room. All three of us sweating bullets and out of breath. I just lay down on the floor. Omar and Paviraa got up.
"We still have many questions to ask you," Paviraa said.
"I know. Can we do it tomorrow?" I asked.
"No. We can't. You must--" Paviraa said before she was interrupted by Omar.
"Let's do this tomorrow Paviraa; it's been a long day. Today let's just keep Mary in our prayers," Omar interrupted.
"Hmmm," Paviraa agreed with a nod.
"I will see you guys tomorrow. I'm sorry about Mary. I didn't know her long enough but she was still a friend to me. Take the scroll with you please," I replied.
Omar took the scroll from my outstretched hand and opened an Ethereal gate. Paviraa and he walked into it. I was left alone in my room. Well, not alone exactly.
Time for me to leave, young Guardian. You did a good job. Thank you for freeing me from the Adholok. As a token of my gratitude, I shall grant you a cloak of smoke on your robe. You can use it at your command. It will keep you hidden in the dark and offer you greater protection against impacts and injuries. I take your leave now. Maybe our paths will cross again someday.
"Thank you for not eating me Krodhaksh," I replied.
Without Krodhaksh's energy in my body, I felt entirely weak. My eyes shut down with the fatigue and I fell asleep.
It was the best sleep I had in a long time.
Whence I sense my skin on your',
Thence my journey begins forth.
Within the far summer breeze we crease.
And us both, soak in our heat and freeze.
Like the glimmer of the asters high,
I call Sirius and Bellatrix nigh.
And lo! She breathes the steam of hope,
Within her sigh, I lie, I die.
Let's pour amidst us this rain and purge,
The tepid flames of lust and urge.
Or shall we sink into the ocean of wants,
I merge my runnel into you and surge.
Can't we just through my dreams pace?
Hither-thither, through time and space.
Alas! we walk through mortal Earth,
Some wither we curse the clocks race.
For I'm bound in the twine of thine eyne,
For I am drunk. Drunk on your wine.