Scepters of Empyrea

by Vignesh Ravichandran

  Within seconds a group of Vathroos hurled their spears towards Lord Manav. He dodged the first spear, jumped the next, defended the one after and merely moved aside from their way. Watching his moves, we can make out that his intention was not to hurt anyone.

  But the Vathroos were not going to let him go that easily. They charged with full force, they dipped and weaved right as they were about to reach him, and Lord Manav was taking back steps by defending their spears. The Vathroos circled him and all together they slashed down their spears. Lord Manav raised his scepter above his head and parried the targeting spears. When the metals clashed, it sent fire sparks flying into the air. Though Vathroos spears were overloading on Lord Manav’s scepter, he lifted his scepter with one hand and the weight of the scepter sent the group of Vathroos staggering way back.

  In the middle of the fight, an aged Vathroo saw the scepter used by Lord Manav and shouted Vaalana! Vathakavaod, Savuthavin, in their vathrian language which means, “He is the lord! Look at the scepter, Bow before him for mercy”.

  Soon most of the Vathroos started to bow their head, but some hesitated, laughed and said Vaalana! Vavaavaaa! Vaalana vakavoser thanka, which means, “is he a lord! Hahahaa! One handed freak won’t be a god.

  Lord Manav couldn’t understand what was going on but seeing the Vathroo’s behavior change he found they were speaking about his disability. His eyes turned reddish, his nerves busted out, he let out a devastating roar and lunged towards that Vathroo, nailed his scepter into his chest and took out his heart with his scepter’s blade.

  The scepter blade dripped off blood but even then his anger was not appeased. Lord Manav lost his own nature and turned more arrogant, he sliced the heads of the Vathroos who attacked him. Manav who hadn't touched any scepter before was now using the scepter exceptionally well. He continued slicing the heads of the Vathroos who weren't bowing before him.

  And his rage led him to lift and throw a huge 4200kg wooden water pot on the Vathroos with his single hand. He was a beast. With that, every single Vathroo in the camp started bowing their head. He placed his foot on the neck of a fallen Vathroo raised his face towards the moon and let out another devastating roar.

  Around the camp heard the roar echo, the canopies swayed as if pushed by an unseen force. Soon the apes from all over the jungle came seething towards the Vathroo camp with brutal force. There were more than thirty apes mixed with gorillas and gibbons that sprang from one branch to another swinging through the treetops. On the ground below the same count of orangutans and chimpanzees troop surged ahead, marching towards the Vathroo camp. The Vathroos stared in shock at the massive troop on the ridge heading towards their camp.

  They entered the camp and started destroying everything in the camp by ripping the huts, breaking the pots, tearing the drums, ravaging the saved granaries and filling the camp with their ghastly noises.

  Meanwhile, the Vathroos were trying to make amends to Lord Manav by offering a feast to him. The banana leaf had been served with a variety of dishes from fruits to meat. Lord Manav was digging onto all of that like a beast and the Vathroos kept refilling the leaf every 30seconds. Lord Manav like a beast eats the elk flesh with full of contempt.

  After a while, Lord Manav seemed to ease off. The apes ran back into the forest and all the Vathroos were completely at his mercy.

  The Vathroos started to say, “vavaalana kag, pasure hilipo amacherio, estaywka tasiya, isthrey vaalana ma”, which means “we failed to recognize you my lord, kindly forgive and stay with us, we will serve you forever my lord.

  He was pleased and accepted their hospitality.

  The apes had destroyed the entire camp and so the Vathroos needed to rebuild all of that. Soon the Vathroos started to clean up. Manav being a yacht floor worker couldn’t just sit and watch so he sprung into action helping them clean up the mess.

  While cleaning the camp, Lord Manav noticed an ancient wooden water pot rolling on the ground. He recognized that's the same pot which he threw at the Vathroos with his one hand. Lord Manav thought to place it in the right place and went to lift it. Surprisingly, he wasn’t able to. It dawned on him it was the mere rage that enabled him to throw a pot that weighed 4200kg.

  He started rolling the pot to place it back in its place.

  At that time he noticed the sketch marks on the outer side of the pot, it was about the apes. Lord Manav stopped, rolled back the pot to check the sketch from its starting point. There were five sketches on the pot. The first sketch was a scepter which had the sun and the moon at its two sides. The second was sketched as a man raging with a scepter in his hand, and the third was a giant furious ape holding the same scepter in its hand, the fourth was a giant furious ape controlling all the other apes and the fifth was some group of people worshipping that giant furious ape. Those people resembled the Vathroos. The sketches almost depicted a life cycle. With that Lord Manav understood that only because of the scepter he got these mysterious powers and that the scepter was the reason why the Vathroos worshipped him. But, he still didn’t know he was outside his galaxy.

  Meanwhile in Dinolaya,

  Lord Ameer remained confused about the Dinomen paying their respects to him. He moved around the forest inspecting the caves one by one and searching the cave drawings.

  Lord Ameer found the hilly place where the Compsognathus jumped on the Apatosaurus. He searched the nearby places for the cave. It was right behind him, he went into it lighting a fire torch and saw the drawings. There were numerous drawings in the cave. All of them had a story to it.

  All the creatures of Empyrea were drawn separately and then the faces of empyreans with their elongated skull. The next drawing was drawn like the meteor strike, the drawings even went to the extent to describe each person of Empyrea who turned after the meteor strike. Lord Ameer found a sketch consisting of the sun and the moon with a scepter, a continuation of the sketch was like an empyrean holding the scepter and controlling the dinosaurs and the dino people, the drawings ended with that.

  Through these cave drawings, Lord Ameer understood that all the secrets were hidden in the mighty scepter and that’s why the Dinomen paid their respects to him. All this while he did not know that he was not in his galaxy.

  Midnight at Empyrea, a short weirder that looked more like a goblin suddenly grabbed Peter into a bizarre cave. At 3 feet with a slim body, it had only two fingers on its hands and legs, shoulders were hunched which showed that it was quite old.

  The short weirder dragged Peter into the darkest forest of Sorgamia holding him by his right leg. Peter’s head was hitting the rocks at many places on the way and he was profusely bleeding still semi-conscious. We could sense that the short weirder was following the orders of someone.

  The short weirder crossed the waterfalls and pulled him towards the north-east of Sorgamia. It stopped at a particular point where there were many sculptures and threw Peter near to those sculptures. It went and kneeled before those sculptures, there were totally three sculptures. It worshipped them bowing its head and after that, it undressed Peter. Later, it took a sharp stone from the ground and wrote some letters on Peter’s body and uttered some black magic words.

  Meanwhile, all the animals in Empyrea were filled with fear, the birds began to make some creepy sounds and started flying away from that place. The animals hid themselves were they saw protective.

  Once the short weirder finished writing on Peter’s body it lifted his right hand and cut it at the wrist nerve and placed his hand facing the sculptures. The cut nerve started to release blood, and it flowed towards the sculptures. Again the short weirder began to utter some black magic words and with that, the blood on the ground started to rise and flow all over the group of sculptures. Surprisingly all the three sculptures started to absorb the blood. The speed of the absorption increased when the short weirder increased the pace of his black magic words. Peter was shivering and closer to his death. The sculptures started grunting and turn pale green in color.

&
nbsp; Those weren’t normal sculptures, they were the old lords of Empyrea. They had received a curse from Osiris Mysterio to turn to stones for their cruelty. This was a result of their evil plan to start a war against the human race in Emrath. The only thing that could redeem them from the curse was the blood of a human.

  The short weirder was Demontus, the slave. The Dark Lord of the Dark Horse Nataska has sent him to serve Tyrant Seth and his family as a benefit of their dark prayers for him. Demontus had been waiting for over 5000 years for the humans to step inside Empyrea so he could rescue the master’s family but only now the time had come.

  The whole process to bring them back was almost over. Demontus stabbed Peter harder with the stone to release some more blood to speed the process. The sculptures turned full green and appeared like the empyreans with greenish skin and elongated skull. Peter’s blood started to float all over their body which made them blink and open their eyes. Soon they began to flex their hands and legs. And now there was not a drop of blood left in Peter’s body. He looked like a preserved mummy.

  The old lords yelled aloud and came back wholly and felt stronger, they looked extraordinary with their striking physique. Demontus immediately bowed down before them paying his respects and said, “This is Demontus at your service master”.

  Demontus!! Demontus!! Why did you take so long to release us!! asked tyrant angrily and raised his arm to get his scepter.

  Master! The humans entered this place just today, and some humans took all your scepters and got all your powers, said Demontus filled with fear.

  Soon Pitheceus and Kraity raised their arms to get back their scepter but couldn’t. The scepters were in the hands of the new Lords of Empyrea.

  What is going on here, Demontus! Where are the others! Where my army of dark warriors is, raged Tyrant.

  Master! Only I was able to come into Empyrea, before the entry of others the Dark spectrum portal closed its door, replied Demontus.

  Spectrum closed its door! How did that happen? We sacrificed the ermaid (mermaid) to the dark lord just to get this old creature alone, raged Pitheceus.

  You freak! Are you lying to us, who told you to act like this, Is Horus behind all this asking you to spy on us, where is he currently, raged Kraity and choked the neck of Demontus almost wanting to finish him.

  No Mistress! No! I am not lying. When I entered the dark spectrum, I was the youngest of all in the dark horse Nataska (nebula). Once I saw the spectrum in my place, I jumped into it and landed on the coasts of Evila. After me, the others started to come in, but a sudden mysterious light came out from the river and didn’t allow others to enter, and soon the spectrum got terminated by its power. I was waiting for more than 5000years for saving you all mistress, said Demontus to Kraity.

  5000years! Hahahaha! Once again you are lying to us! I am Kraity, I will swallow you, raged Kraity.

  He is right my dear, leave him. I can smell the odor of Emplica flowers which will grow only once in 5000years. And about the closure of spectrum, we also saw that mysterious light coming out from the river, by which Osiris Mysterio once again came back. All this must be the plan of Mysterio and his son Horus, first we will head to Armania and finish them, said Tyrant to Pitheceus and Kraity.

  (Soon Kraity released Demontus)

  Demontus after a cough said, Master! Mysterio died on that very same day itself, and Horus has never been seen since his father’s death, I am telling the truth master.

  I am not going to delay it anymore, I need to get back my scepter, said Pitheceus.

  You are stupid! Getting the scepter from the owner is not going to be an easy task. They can’t be defeated without any superstitious power, said Tyrant.

  Are you asking us to live without any powers, we are the lords of Empyrea, raged Kraity.

  Kraity, right now we aren’t the lords of Empyrea, we are just like the normal empyreans. But we will defeat them and get back our powers soon, said Tyrant.

  Soon means when, if they started to use all of our powers they can’t be trounced, said Pitheceus.

  Master! They took the scepters accidentally and till now they don’t know that they are in Empyrea. They think they are stuck in some place in their world. They are weak! They could be defeated easily and I can get the freedom from you for my 5025year wait, said Demontus excitedly.

  Demontus! Don’t speak in front of your master! Only I will decide your death, raged Tyrant and said, weak or strong, it doesn’t matter. The scepters they own now is ours, we know its powers so we can’t take them so easily. The new moon night will be coming within the next 7days, we need to wait until then, and on that day we will retrieve our powers back. Until that follow each one of them and note their every move but don’t ever try to attack them. Even if they don’t respond their creatures will respond for sure, they will safeguard them at every opportunity so we need to wait until the new moon night, said Tyrant.

  Meanwhile, a snake crawled near them, Kraity took it and started kissing it, it’s been a long time since I saw you kids, I missed you.

  Kraity! Throw that thing, we aren’t lord’s and they could harm you, shouted Pitheceus.

  I may not be their god but I know how to handle my snake, said Kraity and started to touch it all over its body. But abruptly the snake came to bite her. Kraity in extreme anger hit its head on the nearby rock and crushed it with her foot.

  My own kids have started to hurt me, we need to get back our scepters as soon as possible, said Kraity.

  Living without our powers for 7days will be unimaginable!! Why can’t we reopen the spectrum portal by sacrificing the other ermaid to the Dark Lord. We could conquer the entire universe with the dark warriors, said Pitheceus.

  Dark warriors! Hahahaha! See, one is standing right in front of us and scratching its head, said Kraity.

  (Immediately, Demontus took his hand from his head and folded them at his back and grinned)

  Don’t underestimate the power of dark warriors, they won’t meet their death until their master permits so. Other than him only the sun could defeat them, they will be buried once the sunlight falls on them, replied Pitheceus.

  Will you both keep quiet for a while! Catching the ermaid isn’t the easiest task, don’t you remember the last time, even with the powers, and you both got hurt while catching the ermaid and so without the powers is just unimaginable. I have a plan to get rid of our enemies, said Tyrant by laughing cruelly.

  A phoenix bird saw all this by sitting on an avocado tree.

  The sun hadn’t risen yet. Lee was sleeping in his tent at the camp of Nagas, west of Nagamalya. The tent was highly decorated like that of royalty. The early morning chillness made him sleep like a baby just as he felt at home. He was in deep sleep snuggled underneath a snake coat.

  Some group of vathroos was hiding in the nearby trees outside the camp with the fire torches and spears in their hand. They were waiting for a chance to get inside the camp and attack Lee. They were moving slowly and cautiously and didn’t give a chance for the Nagas to wake up. They entered Lee’s tent. They slowly lifted his bed and each one of them carried one leg of the bed and slowly took him to their camp. The vathroos bought Lee into their camp and lit the cauldron ready to feast on Lee.

  Thanks for lighting the chimney’s masonry mom, it’s slightly cold today. I will sleep for another hour, don’t wake me up until I get up, blabbered Lee and snuggled underneath the snake’s coat.

  Meanwhile, the Vathroos started dancing around the fire offering their worship.

  Mom! It’s too noisy. Reduce the TV volume, shouted Lee in his sleep.

  Soon the cauldron’s water started boiling. By this time, the vathroos started hitting the drums and blew the trumpets.

  Oh! It’s so noisy. I am coming there, said Lee and slowly started to open his eyes. Half asleep, he saw a blurred image of a medium sized cauldron right in front of him.

  Mom! What’s the hurry? I didn’t ask you to pour the hot water in the bathtub, it looks so hot, blabbere
d Lee and touched the water in the cauldron thinking it to be his bathtub. The heat from the water jolted him from his sleep.