The Dark Lord

by Nihar Sharma

  He picked up his axe and yelled in anger but a maid screamed and interfered, she wanted to save that child but he stroke her with the axe and cut her arms. She managed to push him out of the room and locked the door from inside; she was wounded and bleeding heavily. He was desperate to kill that boy; the sword and spear were inside so he went out in search of something to break the door.

  Maria was lying unconscious in the bed and she was wounded, she was trying to save that innocent life. She took a spear in her one hand and kept the baby safe under bed. She was waiting for her master to break into the room so she could put that spear through his heart.

  Ukaiya sniffed and looked at the burning wood and he turned around and muttered “let them burn in hell” and smiled. The maid was inside the room, so he locked her from outside too so she couldn’t run away with baby and Maria. He torched his own house to allay the fire inside his heart.

  It was too late for him to come for rescue, he could see the house flaming, he galloped hard and reached to the house, he got off the horse and rushed to the door but Ukaiya stopped him by hitting on his head. Naduse fell down on the ground.

  “Your love and dirty monument of love, your son will be dying of fire” he laughed hard and hit on his chest again, Naduse pulled his leg to the ground and got on his chest and started punching his face. Ukaiya seemed enjoying the pain. Naduse ran to that house but everything was burnt. A lady with a spear in her hand burnt, in the bed one more body but it was Maria, from the necklace he identified her, but the flame was too strong, and cry from under the bed he heard, he lifted that burning bed and saved the child, he covered it with blanket and took out.

  Ukaiya was lying outside and enjoying watching them burning, Naduse managed to bring the child out but he was dead, his son had left the body. Naduse yelled in pain. Ukaiya felt better to see his son dead and Naduse in pain. He laughed hard which attracted Naduse’s rage. He drew his sword and slit his throat.

  He looked at his child and fell on his knees on the ground. But he wasn’t crying, his tears had dried several years ago. He felt dead then the oldest black magic he learnt tried on his own son.

  He made a circle and a star inside it; he kept the dead body of his son on the star and started spelling chants. And then he burnt the half burnt body of his own child. The dead body burnt into ashes, and fire stopped. He stood in the middle of the star and drew his shadow and spread the ashes on shadow and chanted the last version and closed his eyes and screamed “I call you to come back to me” and thunder rumbled hard and stroke ashes to alive. A shadow moved from its place and stood before him. Naduse named him “Torriyan, shadow who was invincible, a shadow that could travel to any world.”

  The Dark Lord’s eyes got misted and wiped his eyes, in these very long years journey first time ever Demosus had seen his master’s tears, but he smiled.

  Demosus asked his master “So he is your son”. Dark lord smiled. Demosus muttered “That’s why he loves him.” Dark lord heard him so he narrowed his eyes and replied his quest “I also love you too but Torriyan is better than me.” Demosus had nothing to add more.

  “My lord, the whole universe is scared of you” Demosus added “then how did your story began?” he wanted to know more about his lord. Dark lord looked at him and replied “One more story then” and winked. Demosus with curiosity said yes, it was his great pleasure to sit with his master and gossip.

  Once upon a time when gods and goddesses stood against all demons to free the land from them, a ruthless leader was leading the whole evil army against humanity and gods. The plague had surged on land and people were dying due to epidemic. They were torturing, killing them and eating their fleshes.

  The world was on brink of an end, the humanity and goodness would vanish, then a great human king, Dhananjay summoned his best men to join the cause the they would destroy those savages from the land. Then the gods also joined human. The master of death, Yamraj was the most powerful god and his power was invincible on earth. This was the gift given by the first Titan.

  The human king had a daughter named Uma. She was the most beautiful lady in the universe, the goddesses used to get jealous of her. The king of gods, then he was a prince, and son of first Titan was very much in lust for her.

  The king had a brave warrior named Naduse who always obeyed his order. Because of his brave actions he kept those savages away from their land but they had to do something.

  Uma was in love with Naduse. But the king and the queen never liked Naduse but people loved him. He never lost a battle. He led the army of heaven and human along with Yamraj the king Dhananjay. They fought several battles to finish off the evils from the land.

  When they were fighting against the evils, the prince god disguised in Naduse and knocked on the door of princess Uma. The maid opened the door and lowered her head and smiled, he gave her gold coins to get away from there. A deep black magic to disguise into someone, he used that unique magical flower from heaven garden.

  The princess couldn’t recognize, she thought it was her Naduse and she ran to him and hugged him tight. She was in his arms. She lost her control in his arms and he seduced her and had taken the advantage. They slept together; she loved him with all her soul and body.

  In the middle of the night when she was in deep sleep and the time came for black magic to end. He wanted to escape but she woke up when he tried to leave her arms. She opened her eyes and saw a face that shocked her. It was none other the prince god in her bed. She screamed and covered her naked body with bed sheet; guards outside the room should not come and see that so he gagged her to death. He took her body in his arms and threw it from the window. The guards came inside but it was too late. He slit them there and fled.

  Uma’s father, Yamraj and Naduse were coming back from the battle after triumph. They had release the earth from evils and epidemic but real evil had snatched the happiness from his life. Way back home Yamraj promised Naduse to give whatever he wanted to have.

  In the way the master of death had felt someone’s death, someone’s beautiful soul traveled to his world. He closed his eyes and through telepathy he smelt the bad thing, Uma’s death. He was shocked and wanted to tell king but he had no strength to bear this pain.

  The master was in trouble and he had to idea, as time was passing and they were approaching to their homelands, they would know about her death.

  Naduse was happy and cooked up his dreams with her but he had no idea that his love had left him alone. The king was also happy going back home; he would meet his beloved daughter and wife.

  The Uma’s corpse was rescued from the bottom of the sewage flowing down to the river; her body had been decomposed in water. After so much of searching her mother Queen had found her corpse.

  The news had spread across the estate within few hours before the king could arrive. Naduse had killed her, he had appeared in her chamber, raped her and murdered her. Maids had seen Naduse to visit princess Uma that night.

  The king Dhananjay with Yamraj and Naduse arrived at the city gate and the soldiers had surrounded Naduse and the commander came forward, kept his fist on his right chest and bowed down before his king.

  King asked “What is the matter?” Yamraj sensed danger. Naduse was looking at the commander and looked puzzled why he was surrounded by soldiers, and then turned to Yamraj with his widened naïve eyes.

  The commander commanded pointing to Naduse “Arrest him.”

  “Stop” The king intervened. Yamraj stepped down, and a soldier hit Naduse with the edge of a spear, he fell down unconscious due to the severe hit.

  The commander requested “My lord, this man had killed…” he stopped before completing his talk.

  Yamraj put his hand on king’s shoulder. He kept staring at the commander, but he was looking at ground. Then he turned at Yamraj, his heart was pounding hard. Yamraj had no answers to give, the soldiers had tied up Naduse and dragged him to dungeon, king was haplessly watching. It was out of his understanding what actuall
y was going on. Then a known voice reached to his ears.

  “My lord!” a lady called with breaking voice, full of sorrow and grief. Dhananjay turned around and saw his highness the queen in white dress. He looked at her and said “My lady” she couldn’t hold any more her rage and emotions for her daughter’s murder. She broke into a piece before her husband, tears flooded her eyes and she yanked. Her scream had pierced thru the great wall of their city, her love and her princess had been murdered by an animal. The king ran to his wife and pulled her up and embraced her with a tight hug. And he whispered “Everything will be fine, my love. Please tell me what happened? Where is our world, Uma?”

  The queen looked up at his husband and then she looked aside from his shoulder at Yamraj. That was the clear signal that Yamraj knew this but kept hidden from him. A light cold current shuddered through his body.

  He turned back and rushed towards him and caught Yamraj’s collar and yelled “Where is my Uma? Where is my daughter? And he fell down in his arms.” A king cried out, broke down in his daughter’s love, she was no more.

  Yamraj waved his hand to the commander to take them inside and he rode on his horse and went back with tears in his eyes.

  Naduse opened his eyes and found himself into the dungeon, he felt a pain behind his head. His legs were chained and hammered into the ground. He woke up and reached to the gate of the prison and shouted “Help me”. There was nobody who could listen to him except his voice echoing in that dark rooms hitting back on walls.

  He held those bars and kept screaming while but except his own voice he couldn’t hear anyone else. The last thing that he remembered was someone had hit him with the spear at his back head hard at the gate of the city and he fell down on the ground. He was unable to understand what was happening.

  He was thinking about Uma for long time, he wanted to see her. A very bad thought crossed his mind about her. He crossed the long mighty river, hills and the desert of the north just to see her face again but he was thrown into this hell instead. What could have happened to her?

  The next day morning a guard came and swung the Iron Gate hard that it made him awake from the sleep. He was kicked hard by a guard; another guard had unchained him and tied with a rope. Naduse could say something they gagged him. It was completely out of his reach to understand why they all were behaving with him this way.

  He was addressed before the king and queen in the court, full of people and councilors. Naduse could sense something wrong he looked around but Uma wasn’t there in council. She loved to be the part of council and used to sit next to her father but that chair was empty that day.

  He came forward and bent down before king and queen. His hands were folded; his eyes were at his king, Dhananjay. He was cold with his feelings, and then he heard criers announcing from his right hand side, with a royal scroll in his hand.

  “The man before his grace is charged with treachery, rape and murder. He, who was bestowed by his grace and the people of realm, had killed our princess, Uma.”

  “No!” he yelled, his eyes widened when he heard of this, his heart stopped beating and chains were not enough to hold him, he broke down in the middle of court. The king had felt his pain too. “It couldn’t be possible that he killed my daughter” he muttered and stared at his wife. A royal guard of the court had hit him again, Naduse was hurt, broke and living dead. He had lost everything for which he fought for.

  The all evidences were against him; one after one had taken the oath and gave their statement. The king and Naduse both were looking into each another’s eyes and tears dropped from their eyes, they were feeling the same pain, and both had lost their world. King felt pity for Naduse and himself, before the trial ended the king screamed “silence” and all looked at him, the crier stopped. “Give him a royal death” king sentenced and walked out of the court. Naduse closed his eyes in relief and guards took him to dungeon back.

  But that night king was murdered by the gangs of left evil army, they had attacked the city and killed the king and queen, the whole city was burning; they killed children, men and raping their women, daughters.

  The soldiers had few chances to stand before the sudden ambush. Naduse escaped from there that night with the help of Yamraj, they ran to jungle.

  Naduse cried before Yamraj and asked to return her as he promised once whatever he wanted he would fulfill, but it was out of Yamraj’s hand, he screamed at him punched on his face. “You can’t even bring her back” he cursed him in anger. Yamraj looked at him replied “I can tell you who killed her?” Naduse turned back and caught his collar and screamed in rage again “who is he, tell me.”

  Yamraj replied “You never could reach to him.”

  “Just tell me the name.”

  “The king of gods” Yamraj said.

  Naduse looked into his eyes in anger, revenge was burning in his eyes. But he couldn’t travel to heaven alive. He stepped back and turned around and asked “Will you give me what I ask for.”

  Yamraj said “yes, except dead to return I can give you anything.”

  Naduse looked at sky and asked for the netherworld, Yamraj stepped back. They had killed all those creatures belonged to that dark world and he asked for the same, his revenge would be costlier to others. Naduse said “keep your promise.” Yamraj was puzzled. Naduse had seen those evil’s power but they needed a well headed leader. Yamraj looked at Naduse and asked “is it final?”

  Naduse nodded, “then so be it” Yamraj said and galloped on his horse.

  Dark lord smiled at Demosus and replied “This is how I came here with you all. This is my whole journey.” Demosus couldn’t hold his tears tight; his master had bore a lot of pain in his heart. Now he could realize the reason of hatred and animosity between his master and heaven.

  He made his own world. Yamraj had given him blessings with immortality and he was waiting for moment to come when he could take his vengeance. Dark lord could not love any woman in his long life, but he would have a son from a woman who was deprived of love and Maria was the one.

  THE JOURNEY

  Aaditya’s soul was driven by a purpose i.e. his revenge for his death in hands of Rajat. He had to take his justice, otherwise the portal for the world where he belongs to will never open. But Vikram had been with him, because Vikram was the target but Aaditya had paid for his love and Vikram tried to save his friend, that’s true friendship so the nature had inverted its law and made vengeance in a hand of Aaditya, only a way to get out of this world.

  Baba had captured them inside the bottle with the help of pigeon’s feather. Baba looked at Gajendra who was relaxed when he heard those souls were captured. He went to Rajat and hugged him tight but Rajat had to pay otherwise those souls would come back. Unsatisfied souls were hard to bind so baba chanted his last deadly spell which had choked Rajat to death in the bed in his father’s arms, and the whole family soaked into mourns.

  A burden had been freed from their chest that Aaditya could feel this, Vikram used to feel onus in his heart now it had vanished. They had been freed but where were they? Vikram looked around, so much of tranquility and brightness.

  Yes, their journey to underworld, the netherworld and dark world of dark lord started. The oldest portal out of all agent’s radar and gods observation, opened for the one and only prodigy soul who would end the reign of unwanted.

  Vikram touched the wall of the bottle and asked “So chilled, what would it be?”

  Aaditya looked at him and grinned “our new world.”

  “Hmm, I don’t see other souls like us” Vikram added logic to conversation. Vikram smiled and sensed a feeling of something, called freedom, asked Aaditya “do you feel this?”

  Aaditya sighed and smiled “the dog, Rajat is dead.”

  --------------------------x----------------------------

  These souls meant priceless to them and both were interconnected, if one comes another will definitely come. Their friendship and brotherhood was the ultimate power and one of t
hem would lead the dark army against royal heaven army.

  A few hours seemed like several years to them and angry boy Aaditya just kicked on the wall “We have no idea where we are?”

  “No way, we are captured by some kind of crazy baba” Vikram added.

  “Then we are gone, cannot come out of this and we will stay here forever. How does it matter now? We are dead and we can stay here or there who cares” Aaditya mocked.

  “That’s why I tried to stop you several times but you never wanted to listen” Vikram added “but you were blind in vengeance and did not want to see forward.”

  Aaditya knew that Vikram was talking sense to him “I was a stupid…” and he stopped.

  Vikram was silent and sat next to him on the ground. Aaditya continued “I ruined everything.”

  Both kept silence for few moments. Then Vikram discovered something that could give them a motive, and told Aaditya “Look, the both ends, one is darker and another is brighter” held Aaditya’s hand “Look that might be the door to get away from here.”

  Aaditya didn’t bother to listen to Vikram. He again nudged him then he looked Aaditya after getting no response to him query. He turned Aaditya’s head towards the brighter door and the moment of joy turned into horror, the huge tunnel got filled with darkness approaching them hissing of rattle snakes were clearly audible. The heart beats pumped up and Aaditya muttered “Oh shit! We have been trapped in hell.”

  Vikram was trembling in fear but he had to manage, they needed to run away. “Look at my eyes, we can do it okay, we can leave this place, just stay with me, just follow. Hey, hey are you listening to me?” Vikram asked his friend.