Scepters of Empyrea

by Vignesh Ravichandran

  I didn’t quite catch that last part, could you read it again slowly’, asked Ameer.

  This Empolosseum was constructed by Prince Horus with his people and the creatures of Falconnia. The construction started in 183A.M.S and was completed in 219A.M.S. On 220A.M.S this was successfully inaugurated by King Djoser of Kemet, Emrath, read Lee.

  Eh! Wait! Inaugurated by whom, asked Ameer with shock.

  King Djoser of Kemet, I have come across this name somewhere, but where exactly is the question, am just not able to recollect, said Lee.

  Surprising!!! The crown which we took from the museum belongs to this person, he is said to be the king of Egypt of the 2nd dynasty, said Ameer.

  Splendid! I just remembered. I saw the name under the crown, said Lee with excitement.

  But, why is it mentioned as king of Kemet, what is the meaning of Emrath, asked Manav.

  Ancient Egypt was called Kemet, but I don’t know about Emrath, said Lee.

  Manav! Doesn’t the circular diagram at the end of the message look similar to the sketch of one of the planets that we saw a few minutes back, asked Ameer.

  Splendid! That’s right. Both are the same! Said Manav and his excitement growing.

  Which sketch? Where did you see it? asked Lee.

  Come, we’ll show you. That’s the sketch of the two planets, one planet was nearly the same as this diagram, (Ameer showed the gateway sketch to Lee) the bigger sketch must be the planet Emrath and if we could read the writings under it, we can easily understand it, said Ameer.

  (Lee checked the writings under the sketch) This was written in the Empii language but I must say the bigger planet may or may not be Emrath because both the planets look similar in appearance but different in size, so we can’t finalize which one is Emrath, said Lee.

  Eh! Wait! This smaller planet looks like Earth, said Manav.

  How do you say that? Why can’t it be the bigger one, asked Ameer.

  The sketch proves it, look at the bigger planet, it has got some big continents at the bottom. To my knowledge earth never had big continents like this at the bottom and in the smaller planet the continents are united like one in the ancient maps of our earth, therefore, the smaller planet is Earth and the bigger one is Emrath, said Manav.

  No! Emrath and Earth must be the same because the epigraphic stone points out that king Djoser belonged to Emrath, said Ameer.

  I just recollected another sketch! Follow me, said Lee and took them to another gateway where the meteor strike had been sketched.

  I saw this sketch in the morning! See the meteors were falling on a planet which had the continents similar to the bigger planet. So for sure the smaller one is earth, explained Lee.

  Ok! If that’s the case why is the bigger planet drawn on top of our earth? Neither does it resemble Mars nor Venus or for that matter even Mercury, said Ameer.

  Lee took the broken wall brick from the floor and asked Manav to hold it at the broken part. We all need to focus and think with a clear head. I don’t know the name of this bigger planet but all I know is, this is the planet where we are now, said Lee shockingly.

  What!!!!! What are you saying? asked Manav and Ameer.

  This planet sketch was drawn with only one continent, it was the only one left after the meteor strike, said Lee.

  What are you trying to say Leonce? I’m growing impatient, get to the point, said Manav.

  Listen Manav! The outer layer of that separate continent matches the outer layer of the island Empyrea, said Lee and showed them the Map of Empyrea.

  My head is spinning, how is this even possible?, asked Manav.

  There’s no need to get confused Manav. All of these are ancient sketches that we can’t understand completely unless we have more references. And this is an island and not a continent, said Ameer.

  Why can’t you think in this way? Empyrea is the only place left on this planet so they might have drawn it slightly bigger for it to stand out, said Lee.

  Ji! Everything is becoming much clearer now. We in fact were dead at the time of the maelstrom and this must be either heaven or hell but this has got both the elements and this only confuses me further. This is our first death right, that’s why we are unable to recognize this place, said Manav totally confused and frightened at the same time.

  Oh, Manav! We aren’t dead. Leonce! Don’t confuse him with your stupid imaginations, this is just an ordinary island near Bermuda, the sun is about to set so let us leave this place, said Ameer.

  All of them remained confused but nevertheless set off towards Quetzalcoatlus.

  What’s with the silence? it’s just a craft which is designed to confuse us, said Ameer.

  But, I don’t think so, the crafts never lie, said Lee.

  Lee! Leave that! Where are we going now? Ok! Today let’s stay together in my region and decide whether to get back to Goa or remain in this Elissa, said Ameer.

  This is not Elissa! This is Empyrea, said Lee.

  You could name anything after an unknown place Lee. Manav is just scared of whatever you say so just shut your mouth, yelled Ameer.

  I am not coming to your region, I am going to mine, said Lee angrily.

  Well! I am leaving to my region too then. I will land here and walk to Sorgamia, said Manav bitterly.

  Uffff! All that is unnecessary, once you both land in Sorgamia and Nagamalya, the Quetzalcoatlus will turn back to Dinolaya. Ameer said bye to them and turned his Quetzalcoatlus towards Dinolaya.

  Ok Manav! We will catch up after some time, said Lee and turned left towards Nagamalya.

  In Evila,

  Tyrant and his family were busy preparing something strange in the cauldron. They had collected the esampios which were poisonous cyan color mushrooms that would cause death within a few minutes.

  Demontus! Be quick! Don’t be lazy, take those esampios and drop them in the cauldron, ordered Tyrant.

  I am so weak master! My age doesn’t cooperate with me, when are you going to give me the death order, I am turning 5026 next month, muttered Demontus.

  (Pitheceus kicked Demontus) I heard your words, you didn’t look old. Go! Drop those esampios, raged Pitheceus.

  (Demontus dropped the esampios and mixed the cauldron)

  Father! Why are we preparing this deadly toxin!! If this is for those stupid humans, I am ashamed to be called as your daughter, raged Kraity.

  Every time our aggressiveness won’t help us my dear. First, we need to make conspiracies to defeat the enemy and save the aggressiveness for later part, responded Tyrant.

  But! Why are we preparing this deadly toxin, we are waiting for the new moon night, how will this toxin help us get back our scepters, questioned Pitheceus.

  You *****! Now they are the lords of Empyrea, we are the common Empyreans, until we have some conspiracy, we can’t defeat them, and this is not the deadly toxin! Wait for the toxin to boil, raged Tyrant.

  Master! I have dropped all the esampios. Within seconds it will start to boil, said Demontus.

  Demontus! Keep mixing it until it boils, Pitheceus! Kraity! You both need to know about my plan, sneered Tyrant.

  (Tyrant let out a loud cruel laughter)

  We aren’t preparing the deadly toxin, we are making the dark toxin which will turn the drunken ones as dark creatures like the creatures in dark horse Nataska(Nebula), said Tyrant.

  We can’t follow you father! What is the dark toxin, and how will we be benefited if they turn like this stupid demontus, asked Pitheceus.

  He is not stupid. He is the key to us becoming lords once again. And this time, not only for Empyrea or this planet Vathura, we are going to be the lords of the entire universe. Our first war would be against those humans in Emrath, furiously said Tyrant.

  Demontus! Put up your hands over the cauldron, ordered Tyrant.

  (It showed its hands) Tyrant gashed the forearm of demontus with a knife, black blood Started to fall into the cauldron.

  Master! Master! It hurts, please give me the death orde
r, not this unbearable pain, please, requested Demontus.

  Don’t speak against your master, raged Tyrant and slashed its forearm once again.

  Soon the cyan color toxin started to turn dark blue, Tyrant sneered cruelly watching the transformation of the toxin.

  (Tyrant pushed out demontus from the cauldron)

  That’s enough demontus! You both mix this toxin until it reaches the desired consistency, ordered Tyrant.

  (Pitheceus and Kraity started to mix it)

  The dark toxin which is going to make me the lord of the universe is almost ready, laughed Tyrant.

  Father! Are we going to drink this dark toxin, asked Kraity.

  No, my dear! Our slaves need to drink it. Once they drink this toxin, their heart will pump up more with darkness, they will lose their memories, soon their physical appearance will change weird like a dark creature, after that they will serve us forever, said Tyrant.

  Whom do you refer to as our slaves? The Dinomen or Vathroos, the Nagas or Demontus, asked Pitheceus.

  You idiot! Dinomen, Nagas, and the Vathroos will automatically follow us once we get our scepters back. I meant the human as our slaves, who presently own our scepters. Once they drink this dark toxin, they will turn into the dark creatures and will serve us forever and those traitors will lead us to conquer their Emrath, said Tyrant cruelly.

  Then we don’t get to kill them, is it? raged Kraity.

  No, my dear! We need slaves to conquer the universe especially the humans who use their brain to destroy and betray others rather than developing themselves. The human slaves will make us reach our destiny quicker, and we will soon become the lords of the universe, said Tyrant.

  Do we need to give the toxin today, just give us the order and we both will finish the work, said Pitheceus.

  Pitheceus! Kraity! The dark toxin will be ready only after 2days. We could serve the dark toxin to our slaves once it’s ready, said Tyrant.

  (Kraity and Pitheceus bowed down before Tyrant)

  Lord! We are at your service, what is our next assignment?, asked Kraity.

  After six days on the new moon night, we need to get our scepters back. If we miss that time, we need to wait for another 40days. So, each one of us needs to join with each one of the humans and act as their chancellors. We need to draw out their ego, jealousy, rage, and other vices and get them to quarrel with each other. And when the time is right on the new moon night, we need to give this toxin to them. Once they drink it, they will faint, that’s the time we retrieve our scepters and meanwhile, they will be transformed into the dark creatures by dawn. That dawn will be the darkest day of their lives and our brightest. It will bring us back all of our powers, creatures and our army people to us, said Tyrant with cruel laughter.

  (Everyone started laughing)

  Master! I have served you with my blood. Please Grant me death, requested Demontus.

  Hey Demontus! Are you still alive, how is your wound, you old weirdo, irritated Pitheceus.

  Pitheceus! You don’t know a thing. Demontus won’t die until it gets an order from its master. Father! Are we going to give the death order to this old weirder or not, asked Kraity laughing.

  You are not done, there are many more things that I need to get done through you, get up you lazy creature! Go out and collect the blood samples of all the creatures of Empyrea, ordered Tyrant.

  (Demontus got up and went out of the cave)

  You both!! Don’t waste our time, head to your regions and gain the trust of the humans, ordered Tyrant.

  Everyone departed from Evila and headed to their old regions.

  In Sorgamia,

  Manav after the flying trip to Empolosseum landed at the waterfall and started walking towards the camp of the vathroos. He was fully confused and not in a steady mind. He was muttering to himself and walking towards the camp.

  Is there a way to come into the other galaxy without traveling in space, no way! Lee is just a beginner in Egyptian so he could have misread the whole thing, blabbered Manav.

  Manav was walking in the deadliest path of the forest in Sorgamia without any light directing his way and Pitheceus was following him waiting for the right opportunity to start his act. Now when Manav was just 10meteres away from the vathroo camp, Pitheceus decided to introduce himself before Manav enter the camp.

  At that time, a gray and white stripped Kraita snake in 10 feet long crossed Manav’s way but once it saw his scepter, it feared and started to move the other way. But Pitheceus grabbed that opportunity, lifted a boulder and threw it on that Kraita, Manav turned to see who that was.

  Hey! What was that and who are you, asked Manav.

  (Pitheceus bowed down before Manav)

  Lord! This is Pitheceus at your service, the snake came to bite you my lord. Luckily, I saw it and threw the boulder on it, said Pitheceus.

  Ooops! Thanks a lot, it looks so eerie. Eh! Wait! How did you understand my words? And how come you aren’t speaking those vaaa-thu-paa-vaaka-vaaka language asked Manav not trying to hide his excitement.

  I am an avid traveler my lord, I know many languages across the universe, said Pitheceus.

  Your skin is so green and with that elongated skull you obviously differ from humans, are you an empyrean! And Lee says this isn’t the earth, this is another planet! Is that true, asked Manav.

  Yes my lord! I am an Empyrean, and we are in Empyrea my lord, said Pitheceus.

  (Manav Heartbrokenly sat on the ground)

  What am I going to do now, how could I get back to my home, blabbered Manav losing all hope.

  My lord! If you permit me, I could take you to Emrath, said Pitheceus.

  Really! Will you take me, said Manav almost pleadingly.

  Yes my lord! On the new moon night, I will send you to the right place, said Pitheceus sarcastically.

  I began life without my right arm but I can’t live without my earth, I played in it, enjoyed in it, learned in it, lived in it, agonized Manav.

  I’d like to gift you something my lord! Will you allow me to do that, asked Pitheceus.

  Gift! I don’t need any gifts, I need my earth, only my earth, said Manav getting all emotional.

  I know Emrath would be your first wish, right now I’m not in a position to take you to it, but I can give you something definitely valuable say like your next best wish. I could give you back your missing arm, said Pitheceus.

  Arm!!!!!!!! How is that possible, I was born with that defect, said Manav still shocked at what he just heard.

  I am not going to gift your arm my lord! Just help you realize the powers you possess from your scepter, said Pitheceus.

  Hold your scepter firmly and concentrate on your right arm, make it grow with your powers, said Pitheceus.

  Hearing those words of Pitheceus, he firmly held his scepter in his left hand and stared at his right. Nothing happened, am I doing it right, asked Manav.

  Concentrate! Concentrate! Relive your past, think about all the sarcastic comments and remarks of others on your disability, bring out your inner rage, Pitheceus ignited the inner rage of Manav.

  Manav started to relive all the hurtful memories, the words of each one started to ring loud in his ears. He started from his childhood memories, when he used to wash the food plates on the roadside shops, people used to call him a one handed rat. Next, he relived his memory as a supplier in a hotel, when he held the food in one hand, the customers threw their tips at him asking him to catch it if he could. He in fact used his mouth to catch it because he was so desperate and had to sustain himself. Next, he recalled the angry words of his butler manager, who used to scold him by holding his disabled arm, then he relived the sarcastic and funny comments of his gang mates in the yacht and at last the words of vathroos which previously turned him arrogant.