Lee nodded his head with a grin on his face and said, yeah. Fooka fooka for all of us.
All the vathroos shouted excitedly, fooka fooka. They lifted John, Lee, and David on their shoulders and moved towards their camp.
Hey Lee! Do you have any clue what’s going on here? asked David.
Haven’t you seen any movies, you idiot! They got scared of the fire that came out from the lighter and now they are taking us to be their new kings. I think it’s our official ceremony, said Lee.
They entered the Vathroo camp situated on the banks of river Isis. That’s the border of Sorgamia and Nagamalya. In the middle, the river Isis separated both the lands.
Their camp lay behind a wall of timbers and a massive gate that spiraled around the flanks of the mountain. Other vathroos looked over the walls and hung from the timbers higher up in the mountains, hooting out excitedly welcoming the group. As they watched the troop approach, the noise increased and news of the hunting party's return spread. The vathroos drummed, sang and danced, the beats echoing through their canyon walls.
Hey David! See, I told you right. It’s our official ceremony so behave like a king and don’t be afraid, just smile, said Lee.
Ahhhhhhh! Aaaaaahhh! Lots of hamburgers, I am going to eat them all, said John still dazed without any food intake.
Shut up! You idiot! Do these weird dark people look like hamburgers to you! They are nasty, said David.
The vathroos kept them on the ground. Soon a group of female vathroos bought a garland of flowers and decorated the trio.
I think these girls will be our cheer girls, said Lee with a shying expression.
Uhhhhhh! They look dirty. Instead of cheer girls, why don’t you make them as your queens, asked David.
Queens! No. No. My girlfriend Jaswanthi will kill me, replied Lee.
Soon the female vathroos started to apply some cooking ingredients on them but the trio didn’t realize what was happening. David thought it was some powder like sandal and turmeric for cooling the body. Lee thought the substance was used to massage the body, and he started enjoying it.
Hey black gorgeous, apply it to the right side of my hip, now to my left, please at the middle, and now slightly above, right at the chest. Oh! Oh! No! No! You are tickling me, enjoyed Lee.
Black Gorgeous! Ufffff! I feel like vomiting hearing that word. Eh! Wait! Why are they gathering all that wood on that cliff..! Lee, I feel something is terribly going wrong, said David.
Hey David, you sound racist man. Look at John, he is totally mesmerized by the girls. Just relax and enjoy the massage, replied Lee.
The Vathroos gathered all the wood in the middle of the hilly place and placed a cauldron. A vathroo rubbed the stones to light the wood, but because of the wind and the wet wood, it did not light up. Watching all this, Lee walked up to that spot.
Holly shit! When will you light it and when am I going to have my lunch. Move! I will light this wood myself, said Lee and snatched the lighter. The irony! and the poor guy had no idea he was digging his own grave.
Soon all the Vathroo’s gathered around the fireplace and started to move around the fire. They played the music, sung some fooka fooka song, danced holding others hand reveling in their pyrolatry. This was a fire worship done by the Vathroos before having their food. Lee clueless started to dance along with them and assumed they were elated because he lit the fire.
Meanwhile, John was famished. He started chewing his own shoes. I need fooka fooka, begged John to a vathroo.
Fooka….! A vathroo threw some fruits to him and directed him to sit at a particular place, that was the place where they slice their meat.
Hey Lee! I smell trouble, said David.
Cool dude! John finally got something to eat and now let’s enjoy the dance, replied Lee.
No! It does not seem like that, Look there. said David.
Soon a Vathroo took a weapon similar to an axe and sliced the head of John like a butcher and threw his body into the huge cauldron which was placed on the fire. Watching this Leonce and David stood transfixed and was thinking of ways to get out of that place as fast as they could. But within seconds all the vathroos surrounded them and started wailing and chanting fooka fooka laka laka, fooka fooka laka laka.
David!!! Do you feel a burn, my whole body is itching. I think they applied some cooking ingredients on us, the plan is to grill us like tandoori chicken! said Lee.
No! We are going to serve their plates as soups. Look up there, said David and showed the cauldron. The cauldron had been filled with water, the Vathroos decided to drop Lee and David alive into the cauldron, the water had already been mixed with the blood of John, and it gave a rotten meat smell all over the place.
I think that smell alone is enough to kill me, said David.
Soon both of them were dropped into the cauldron and even during the last few moments of their life they argued and blamed each other for their plight.
I thought we’ll be soaking in our tubs within two days, but look at us now, immersed in this huge pot, it’s all because of you freak, scolded David.
Hey! What did I do?, asked lee. It’s all your fault – I blame it all on you. For us in this state and for John, you are the reason for his death too. You ought to pay the price, I’ll kill you before they squeeze us, said David and started to choke Lee’s neck.
They both started fighting inside the cauldron. You are the person who said left & right to those nasty girls. Now take my left and right punches to your face said David but missed hitting Lee. You are punching me! I will show who I am said Lee and grabbed David’s head.
The cauldron shook heavily as a result of their fight and moved from the fire woods, and because the cauldron had been set up at the edge of the cliff, it rolled down the hilly path.
Leonce and David were tossed around inside the cauldron, but they didn’t seem to stop their fight, they started biting each other. On the other hand, the vathroos chased the cauldron like diabolic beasts. The cauldron rolled down and finally fell into the river Isis.
Noooka noooka! Baaacka baaacka! Shouted a vathroo and signaled the others to halt on the banks of river Isis. Inside the river, Lee and David got out of the cauldron and swum as fast as they could to escape the vathroos. John’s body also floated out of the cauldron.
The Vathroos hurled their spears and attacked them. It was like the sky raining with spears for David and Lee.
A spear scratched David’s hip. Uffff! I’m hurt. I can’t swim. I am bleeding. Help me, shouted David.
Easy!! Easy!! Just a few more minutes, hold your breath. Put your hands on my shoulder, let’s swim together, said Lee. David with the help of Lee crossed about 50% of the river. The Vathroos gave up their pursuit and returned chanting…. Naagamala! Naagamala.
Naagamala was a myth in Empyrea. When Mysterio tried destroying the scepters by creating the empyrean stone, his elder brother's family conspired against him and betrayed him. Tyrant, Pitheceus, and Kraity made their scepters to fly in the air and hid them. The connection between the scepters and the myth about Naagamala starts here. Kraity, the daughter of Tyrant, who ruled Nagamalya, had a female pet snake named Naagamala, which was unique and was baby pink in color. Kraity took care of it as her own daughter. Once she hid her scepter and the pet snake Naagamala protected the scepter for her. And, now even after 5000years, it’s believed to be still alive, all of 37feet in length.
The Vathroos often found the pink skin of that Naagamala on the banks of the river Isis. Many times the Vathroos tried killing the snake, but no weapon could penetrate it, it could be defeated only by anyone of the Lords. This was the reason why the vathroos hesitated to cross the river Isis at this time.
Lee and David were swimming towards the region Nagamalya trying to escape the vathroos. But, they had no idea about the 5000year old snake, which resides in the river Isis. They were overjoyed just thinking of how narrowly they escaped.
We are almost there. Swim! Swim! Swim to those rocks. Keep movin
g, keep moving, try getting to those rocks, hold your breath, said Lee and swum towards Nagamalya with David.
Shit! What was that? What was that? Something just moved beneath my feet, felt slimy and big, gasped David.
The river obviously will have a million things living in it, let’s move faster. Swim, said Lee.
All of a sudden, behind Lee and David, John’s body disappeared into the river.
What was that noise? Where is John’s body! It disappeared, said David warily.
No! No! Swim! Swim! I think we got ourselves this time into something bigger and bloodier, screamed David.
Suddenly the pink female Naagamala emerged in front of them. It had a broad, triangular head with a distinct canthus and a broad snout. The crown was covered with small imbricate smooth scales, its tongue was long enough to taste the blood of Leonce and David.
As soon as they laid eyes on Naagamala, both of them changed direction and started swimming the other side but they were no match for the mighty snake. Naagamala in one swift movement dived in and bit David’s leg dragging him down into the river.
Help me, Lee! Help me! Yelled David. Lee in an attempt to save David did the most stupidest thing, he swam towards Naagamala and hit its tail with his foot. Enraged the snake spat out David and went behind Lee wanting to swallow him. Lee was quick and dived into the water to escape, he swam harder and harder but the snake was relentless right on his tail.
Meanwhile, spat David gone deep into the river and fell on the riverbed with bleeding profusely. His blurred unconscious vision noticed a vathroo’s spear a little away from him but wasn’t sure if he could make it to the spear. His leg was badly injured but the thought of saving Lee’s life kept him going.
Lee, on the other hand, swam into a rocky surface, seemed like a small cave filled with fungus and small fishes. All of a sudden the bottom of his torn jeans pant got hooked into one of the stones there. Before he could free himself it was too late, Naagamala had approached him and was ready to swallow him.
Hey you! Eat this said David with bubbling words and threw the spear at Naagamala. He had somehow managed to get a hold of the spear and it hit the snake right on its neck. Though the spear really didn’t do much of damage to the non-penetrable snake it did distract it from pursuing Lee and turn towards David.
Lee used this time to free himself, while he tried taking out his jean from the curvy place the fungus on it floated up the river and the curvy place started to glitter. Lee cleared all the fungus because he was curious to know the reason for the glitter and what he found there surprised him. There was a big metal handle firmly stuck to the inside of a rock and when he attempted to pull it out, he found it was way too difficult.
The situation with David got worse. Naagamala succeeded in getting face to face with David, furious, it put out its long tongue and licked him all over his face, it’s green shiny eyes started to hypnotize David who was transfixed and the snake opened its jaw wide and started to swallow David starting with his head.
Lee unable to withstand that sight tried hard to pull the handle again, it slipped, but he then managed to succeed in his third attempt. With the metal rod in his hand, he swam towards Naagamala to save David. He hit the snake hard with the metal rod on its stomach to make sure it spat out David. But the result was astounding. Impenetrable Naagamala was sliced into two with the effect of the metal rod hitting it.
The river turned red with the snake’s blood gushing out and Lee turned to look at the weapon he was carrying, it turned out to be a scepter. Without wasting any time, he swam towards the mouth of the snake to retrieve David who was nearly half dead. He swam up to the river banks literally carrying him on his back.
Lee!! Thank you for going through everything that you did to save my life. I owe you my friend but in another life but right now, I want you to leave this place as soon as you can and with that, he struggled to hold on to his life.
(A Phoenix bird flew in the sky)
I am not leaving without you, just hold on. There must be some coastal guard somewhere around here. They could save you with the use of a medical kit. Just don’t leave me yet, begged Lee filled with sorrow.
No lee. I know!! I will die soon. Just get out of this place! Marry Jaswanthi and live a happy life, said David and breathed his last.
No! No! Please don’t do this to me. I need you, my friend. I need you, I’m going to miss you, I’m going to miss you terribly whispered Lee on the banks of Nagamalya.
The scepter which Lee took from the rocky surface was the "scepter of venom" of "Kraity Wadjet". Now, Lee owned the scepter and because of that he automatically became the lord of Nagamalya and its creatures.
At the border between Dinolaya and Sorgamia,
Royston, Manav, Mosses, and Sammy started to move into Sorgamia to find some food & shelter.
As Royston didn't have a navigator, he followed the sun's direction as east. But, he never knew at Empyrea the sun rose in the west, because the planet Vathura spun clockwise, instead of anti-clockwise.
Now we are at the east. Sammy and Manav, you both move towards the west and find some help. Mosses you head towards the south and search for the others. I’ll go north. Remember one thing, this isn’t Goa, we are in the middle of a deadly forest, take each step cautiously, we will get back to this same place when the sun sets. Sammy!!! You take this shotgun and don’t use it unless it’s needed. Let’s start, commanded Royston.
Everyone walked in the wrong direction commanded by Royston. Now, Manav and Sammy were moving towards the east thinking it to be west. They were walking into the thickest forest of Sorgamia conversing with each other.
Dude, what happened to your right hand, did you had any accident? asked Sammy.
No! There is nothing since my birth. I haven’t worried about my disability much, but when others mistreat me, I feel different, said Manav, disappointingly.
All for good!! You are a brave person Manav, you fought bravely against the Tommy gang, said Sammy. In the middle of their conversation, Manav heard some indistinct music.
Eh! Wait! Wait! I hear something! It sounds like some sort of music, said Manav.
Yeah, I too can hear that, let’s check out where it’s coming from, said Sammy with excitement.
Both moved towards the music, they guessed it might be coming from the local people. Therefore thinking it to be a way out of the island for them, they followed the path of the music filled with hope.
They were plucking the plants & leaves on their way and rushed towards the music. They reached the banks of the river Isis at the eastern side of Sorgamia. They were walking along the banks of the river Isis following the music. As they came out of the thickest forest, they could hear the sound even more distinctly.
Hey Manav! I know this music, it’s a famous song, but I am not able to recollect the lyrics. But, surely someone can help us here.
Eh! Eh! Now, I know, the song is “Katy Perry's - Roar like a Tiger”. It sounds like its coming from my Walkman, I think that some local people must have got their hands on it. Come let’s go find out, said Manav.
They both sang the song, "I got the eye of the tiger, the fighter, dancing through the fire because I am the champion, and you goanna hear me roar", all this, while still following the path of music.
Manav was right. The music was coming out from his broken Walkman. But the local people weren't operating it. At the banks of river Isis, Two apes around 3feet in height were operating the Walkman.
Goooooo! Gooooo! Hooooo! Hooooo! Kaaakakaaa! The apes were making creepy sounds and hearing the music holding the Walkman to their ears.
When Manav and Sammy reached the place and saw the scene, it crushed their hopes for getting out of the island.
Hey you! Shoooo! Shoooo! Give me back my walkman, that’s my dad’s gift, give it to me, Manav tried chasing the apes, and tried grasping the Walkman from their hands.
Scepters of Empyrea Page 14