“No, your majesty,” Daruah disagreed, receiving a grimace from the king. “We cannot take any risk.”
“We’ll go to the outside of the castle, that’s all,” the king hissed with a frightening calm. Everybody present knew it was the final word.
The party moved along. Daruah was very reluctant, but ultimately the king was above him, and he had to follow the order whether he wanted or not.
After some time they reached some steps that led them up a vertical tunnel. There was a metallic circular covering on the top of the vertical tunnel.
“You,” the minister pointed a slim finger at Angus. “Go out and check if everything is okay outside.”
“Yes, sir,” Angus said. With much strength, he opened the metallic lid that was probably untouched for years, and went out. Once outside, he saw that they had actually reached the backyard of Trak’s shop! The top of the lid had been buried under the soil and so it was unlikely that Trak had seen it.
From his position, Angus could see that battle was raging all around the castle. Some guards lay on the ground dead or badly wounded, and so did some rebels. Most of the civilians had locked themselves inside their homes in fear, and only the fighters were out. Trak too had all his doors and windows closed, though Angus hoped he was peeping out through some hole.
“Is it safe?” the minister asked from the tunnel.
“Yes,” Angus replied. “There is fighting going on in the distance, but it’s safe right here.”
“I want to see for myself,” the king said. In moments, the king, the minister and all the other soldiers had come out. The king frowned at the fighters in the distance.
“I see few attackers,” he said, “where is the big army?” There was sarcasm in his voice, aimed at the minister.
“They might have gone inside the castle in search of you,” the minister said.
Angus and the other guards formed a protective circle around the king even as the king viewed everything that was going on. The king was just beside Angus, and he wondered if he should just plunge his sword into the king’s heart.
His hands shivered. Would there be a better opportunity? The other soldiers would always be there to protect the king, and he would have to deal with them whether he struck the king now or later. And if he didn’t strike the king now, the king would realise that no big army was attacking the palace and they might return to the palace. This would give hope to the soldiers, who would then fight the rebels with more confidence. The entire point of the attack would be lost.
Angus had never felt so weak. He looked at the king from the corner of his eyes.
Now?
Angus took in a deep breath, preparing himself. This was suicidal, but he needed to do it anyway. He flung his sword at the king.
The king made an abrupt movement, and Angus slashed thin air. What followed next was a shock to Angus. Time slowed down. Only Daruah had actually noticed Angus’ attack.
“He’s attacking the king!” Daruah cried out loud, pointing at Angus. Without knowing what to do, Angus jabbed his sword at the minister and the tip pierced his neck. The minister fell, clutching his neck as blood spurted out.
The soldiers attacked Angus as the befuddled king ran to a safer distance. One sword slashed Angus’s thigh, while another grazed his shoulder. But he was able to escape a sword aimed at his stomach.
And then, the air exploded with a war cry. Suddenly the door of a nearby house burst open and no less than ten rebels poured out. Taking advantage of the sudden interruption, Angus stumbled away from the king’s soldiers.
The rebels fell on the soldiers with such force, that some soldiers ran for dear life instead of holding ground. But Angus’ eyes were searching for the king. Where had the tyrant gone?
He limped to the main road. There was fighting going on everywhere, and in the distance Angus saw the king attacking none other than Olwyne. Despite bleeding profusely, Angus moved as fast as he could. Too late, the king’s sword entered Olwyne’s stomach and emerged from her back.
The king laughed like a devil, malice gleaming from his teeth.
“Traitor!” he yelled in Olwyne’s ear, as she looked at her stomach in horror.
And then, with a burst of strength, Olwyne pushed the king away, and pulled the sword out of her stomach. She let out a cry, and drove the sword into the king’s throat. Gargling his own blood, the king collapsed, never to rise again. A moment later, as Angus reached, Olwyne too fell to the ground.
Angus fell on his knees, and took Olwyne’s head in his lap, his eyes swelling with tears. Olwyne had turned very pale, her eyes fixed at the sky, a fading light in them. She was breathing very slowly.
“Oh, Olwyne!” Angus cried.
The only girl he had ever truly loved—on the verge of dying.
“Tr… Trygve, that you?’ Olwyne whispered. Apparently Olwyne thought Angus was her husband.
“You are not going to him,” Angus said. His heart hurt that she should see her husband and not him. He suddenly became very determined.
“You are not dying!” Angus yelled. Despite all the pain, Angus picked up Olwyne with his arms.
***
Chapter 38
Xuhn and Mortugal watched as Corpsia sat a short distance from them, mumbling spells under her breath with her eyes closed and her hands over the dragon egg.
The tide washed the shore, and the sun was setting in the horizon. Xuhn and Mortugal had flown into the king’s room during the peak of the battle earlier in the day, and they had found the room empty—except for Corpsia in a cage. Oh, how happy she had looked when she saw them.
Mortugal and Corpsia had kissed, forgetting all their previous quarrels. Sometimes a separation for a few days healed all problems. Now, looking at Corpsia, Xuhn was reminded of Ritika. He just hoped she was well.
Not far from them on the shore was the camp of the rebels. Inside one tent was Olwyne. She was in a deep coma, and the best physician that the rebels could get had said only the gods could save her. Angus hadn’t left Olwyne’s side ever since the start.
The attack had been a success, although many rebels had lost their lives. They had left the palace blazing in flames, and it was a clear sign of the dawn of a new era, one that Xuhn hoped would be prosperous.
Corpsia was presently drawing in the essence that the egg had been amassing the entire length of time it had been in the sealed room. The king’s death would keep it a mystery forever as to who brought the egg to the new continent.
Mortugal had asked Corpsia if she could treat Olwyne. But she had said that Olwyne was way too big in size, and it was just not possible. Corpsia said she wasn’t even sure if she would be able to create a spell that would allow them to pass through the purple screen tomorrow. There was only so much essence in the egg and she didn't know if she could regain all her powers.
“I am not happy being this,” Mortugal suddenly spoke, gesturing at his body.
“Hmmm?” Xuhn said, not getting the former dragon.
“Say we are able to go out of the screen,” Mortugal said, “at some point I must meet the black dragon again, right?”
“But it will be confused,” Xuhn said, “Corpsia exchanged our forms so that the dragon can be confused, and it would end up attacking neither of us.”
Mortugal shook his head and sighed.
“You know, I have this feeling that I must meet the black dragon as a dragon,” Mortugal said, “the last time I was scared for I had never seen a beast like him. But the next time, I will have more faith in myself.”
“So you want to become a dragon again?” Xuhn asked, “Without the black dragon being dead?”
“I am going to ask Corpsia tomorrow if she can turn me into a dragon again,” Mortugal said, a fierce determination shining in his eyes. "Maybe she will have regained enough powers."
Xuhn looked down at his own body. He missed his human form. But he hadn’t lost his brains like Mortugal.
“The black dragon is stronger than you. It will kill you.”
“Then so be it,” Mortugal said, “… See, it’s good to be human, but… I miss my old body. I would rather die as a dragon than live as a human. The only way I can destroy the black dragon is by meeting him face to face.”
Xuhn pondered over Mortugal’s words. It would be pointless if Mortugal resumed his dragon form before leaving the new continent. Having brought Mortugal to the new continent would be in vain. But at a second glance at the matter, Xuhn thought that it wouldn’t be so.
He looked towards Olwyne’s tent. Many soldiers sat outside it, praying for the well being of Olwyne. Had they never come to the new continent, they wouldn’t have ever met such a brave person like Olwyne. And then, Xuhn doubted if Mortugal and Corpsia would have ever reunited had they not come here.
Xuhn sighed. Who knew what the future held!
***
“Trygve?”
Olwyne could barely believe her eyes. It was Trygve in front of her. Smiling so that dimples formed in his cheeks. But wait, wasn’t he dead?
Olwyne considered her surroundings. She was in a very white realm. Was this the world after death? Everything was a blur and she could focus her eyes only on Trygve.
“You like Angus?” Trygve asked.
“No,” Olwyne shook her head earnestly, “never! I can never love anybody but you.”
Trygve came closer and held her hands. His hands were soft and warm. As though he was a different entity to the living, a superior entity.
“Don’t hide it, Olwyne,” Trygve said gently. “You do love him, do you not?”
Olwyne looked sideways and thought of Angus. He was a good man. But did she love him? The truth was she didn’t know. Or perhaps, she had never opened her heart for anybody after Trygve’s death.
“I don’t know, Try,” Olwyne said.
Trygve smiled.
“You do love him, believe me.”
“But- but,” Olwyne said desperately, refusing it, “I want to be with you, Try.”
Trygve shook his head.
“Look, I am dead. This is a mere dream and you are in a coma. We cannot be together.”
“But we are together now!” Olwyne argued.
“We can’t be here for all eternity. You must emerge from this stage of deep unconsciousness. And you must live. Have you never looked into Angus’ eyes?”
“I have,” Olwyne said guiltily.
“What did you see?”
Olwyne shook her head for she didn’t want to say. It had been the reason she had refused Angus outright. It had been the reason she had been scared of Angus coming closer to her even as a friend.
“Look into my eyes,” Trygve said. Olwyne did so. Sure enough the love for her that she now saw in Trygve’s eyes was the same she had seen in Angus’.
“Look,” Trygve continued, “Angus loves you. If not as much as me, than more. He has been sitting beside your bed, gazing at your face hoping that you would wake up. He hasn’t eaten a crumb of bread or drunk a drop of water since yesterday.”
Olwyne gritted her teeth, fighting with the idea of being in love with Angus.
“Olwyne,” Trygve said, “you are confused, I know. But I am your past. Make Angus your present.”
“And forget you?” Olwyne said. She was baffled at Trygve.
“Remember me. Keep me in your heart. Without that, I will cease to exist anymore. This conversation wouldn’t have been possible had you forgotten me. But don’t be so unkind on yourself. Accept Angus.”
Trygve smiled once more. And then, just like that, he disappeared, fading into the blur. Then everything became black. Olwyne thought of seeing a face in front of her.
Angus’ face.
***
Angus felt a soft hand on his head. He opened his eyes with much effort. He had fallen asleep beside Olwyne, and it was already morning now. He sat up, wiping saliva drooling from his mouth. To his surprise and elation, he saw that Olwyne was awake, and the hand was hers.
“Olwyne!” Angus said. His vision blurred as his eyes became teary.
Olwyne smiled.
“Angus,” she said.
“I thought I lost you,” Angus said, sniffling. And then what made him say the next words, he didn’t know.
“Will you be mine?’ Angus asked her. For a brief moment he thought he had made a great mistake for Olwyne seemed to freeze. But the moment passed, and Olwyne kept smiling.
“I will, and you—will you be mine?”
Angus nodded a hundred times in his joy. He stood up, the grin refusing to leave his lips.
“Olwyne is awake!” he yelled at the top of his voice to those outside the tent. “Olwyne is back!”
Happiness rained. The rebels were gleeful that Olwyne had survived despite losing so much blood, and they sang merrily. Olwyne inquired about the results of the attack, and though she was sad that some of the rebels had died and others gravely injured, there was satisfaction on her face owing to the success of the attack.
After a joyful lunch, Mortugal told Angus that he and his companions had decided to leave for home. Before that, in the morning, some of the rebels had found a small cloth on the shore, which happened to be the carpet on which the four outsiders had apparently flown to the continent.
And the girl—Corpsia—uttered certain magical words that made the carpet levitate. But suddenly, Mortugal and Xuhn held hands and asked Corpsia to do something to them. It was a wonder to behold. The purple essence of the screen came streaming to Corpsia’s hands and with this she magically transformed the dragon Xuhn into a tiny person, while Mortugal was transformed into a dragon— one with fur.
The outsiders then got atop the carpet and there was the exchange of goodbyes. Angus, supporting Olwyne with his arms, watched in amazement as the carpet took to the air. Corpsia stood at the front edge of the carpet, her hands sparking with magic. The carpet sped towards the purple screen and passed straight through it. In a few moments the carpet was but a small dot, becoming smaller all the while.
***
Chapter 39
“We are finally out, eh?” Vivek said to Xuhn glancing back at the purple screen.
Xuhn nodded, grinning.
“You happy that you are finally going to see your mother?”
A distant look overcame Vivek’s eyes.
“I wonder if she thinks I am dead,” he said, “I hope she’s all right.”
“She’s a strong woman,” Xuhn said. “You know, you were one stubborn git when you broke your leg. She held her patience then, she will hold it now.”
“Sometimes I wish I listened more to her,” Vivek said, “things would be less chaotic in my life that way.”
“She’s a wise woman,” Xuhn said, “but your craziness has its advantages. Without you becoming too curious about the dragon skull, we would have never found or destroyed the mirror.”
“Or released the black dragon,” Vivek said with a crestfallen face, looking at Mortugal.
Mortugal smiled. He was spread along the length of the carpet, looking quite cosy in his own body.
“You needn’t feel guilty for that, boy,” he said, “the next time I meet the black dragon, I will split its skull.”
“Um, Mortugal?” said Corpsia, who was piloting the carpet. There was a strange vibe in her tone that unsettled Xuhn, “your wish might just come true.”
***
Ritika watched with Ruponi and Breda as the soldiers painstakingly fixed the dragon skull in the bowsprit of the ship.
An hour ago the black dragon had disappeared, and for the first time in days the fake-Xuhn had come out of his cabin.
Finally the skull was tied strongly with the ship, such that even the movement caused by big waves couldn’t loosen it or make it fall to the sea. And then, just as Xuhn was inspecting how well the skull had been tied, that the man in the crow’s nest let out a cry, pointing at the sky like mad.
“What is it?” one of his comrades shouted from below.
“There’s a bloody carpet flying in the
sky!”
Ritika frowned hard at the part of the sky the man was pointing. Sure enough, there was the carpet.
“It’s Mortugal, a young man, Corpsia and…” Breda was saying before she trailed off. She turned sharply at the king.
“The real Xuhn,” Ritika finished for her. Sitting beside the young man was none other than her love.
Black smoke suddenly appeared around the fake-Xuhn and he turned into the black dragon, so that the soldiers gasped in awe.
“He is the dragon!” Breda said, gaping.
The black dragon flapped its massive wings and took to the air. It sped towards the carpet. What followed was something Ritika would never forget in life.
***
Mortugal took in a deep breath as the black dragon came at full speed towards their carpet.
“Corpsia,” he said to the immortal girl, “I don’t know what happens next, but… always remember that I loved you.” Tears flooded Corpsia’s eyes, but Mortugal held her gaze for a moment; and then he too flapped his wings and went to meet the dragon.
Mortugal and the black dragon collided violently. His claws sunk into the dragon’s scales while the latter’s claws did the same to his fur. Biting and clawing they flew this way and that, their eyes locked in utter fury. The black dragon’s only aim of existence seemed to kill Mortugal, so Mortugal too made up his mind. If he died, he would take the black dragon with him.
The black dragon opened its jaws wide. Mortugal landed a kick on the dragon’s stomach, and flew in the opposite direction. Moments later he felt fire licking his back, making pain course about his body.
Mortugal cried out, but told himself he wouldn’t give up. He resolutely turned in the air. But he saw that the black dragon was flying towards the ship instead.
What was going on?
***
Ritika was puzzled as the black dragon came flying back. But the puzzlement lasted for only a moment.
“I am still your king!” the black dragon hissed at the soldiers. “Attack the other dragon with arrows!”
But not a soldier moved. They all seemed petrified.
Seeing this, the black dragon landed on the deck. He changed to his human form.
The Banishment of the King Page 29