by Nihar Sharma
“How is it possible? Are you sure?” king asked Yamraj.
He nodded and held king’s hand to identify the smell. “Oh trinity” the king was shocked when he smelt his own kind helped that soul in escaping, “Devika” he whispered.
Then all the angels and fairies came and arranged in a circle before king. But the king glared at Devika only and relieved rest of them except her. The king stepped ahead towards her, as she was trembling in fear; a chill ran down her spine. She just came with a mirror and justified that she found it while she was dream walking.
“Now I can understand how you got that mirror which was lost millennia ago and the monster in it. You lied to all of us that you found it in your dream and you took a help of dream walking and got this out. We never distrusted you so we granted this as a true and rewarded you for the same, but now it appears you helped a soul to disappear from heaven and in exchange you have got this cursed mirror” the king screamed loudly at her.
She had no answer except apologizing for her misdeed. “My lord” she cried.
“Take her away from my sight and throw her into the dungeon” the king commanded and guards took her, she was sobbing but it didn’t help her to get away from his wrath. Yamraj stepped forward “my lord, there is a hole in that gate, that must be a secret portal from where that soul escaped.”
“In one day how many secrets would pierce my heart” king sighed, “Yam, I don’t care for one soul. That gate cannot be opened otherwise the door for evils to heaven will be opened forever.” “But” he added more “This is not an ordinary soul; this is what we are looking for, my lord.” The king looked shocked again, he continued “Yes, my lord the prodigy soul.”
THE LOST OCEAN
At last after the huge exchange of arguments over dinner they agreed to sail together to netherworld. Slista was worried about to lose her husband, nobody ever came back from netherworld who went against dark lord.
“So you are the prodigy soul” Hades smiled “the world is searching for.”
“Prodigy soul” Aaditya exclaimed and shrugged his body “what is the prodigy soul?”
“A soul which is the most powerful weapon to either gods or evils and it happens in millennia. The first prodigy soul I remembered when I was a kid, it was five thousand years ago. My father was the right hand to then Hades. They were searching for prodigy soul that time but it was said that soul had betrayed and later murdered and the truce was to be signed for peace” Hades sighed and sat on his sofa and smoked his pipe.
“Murdered?” Aaditya asked with surprise “how could it be possible to kill a soul?”
“Then you don’t know, it is a divine power, when soul gets killed, there is no existence” Hades added.
“But I am not a prodigy soul, what makes you think?” he asked briskly.
“Because, all are searching for you, your friend is not a prodigy soul that’s sure, and otherwise dark lord would have used him” he stared at him, “you need a sleep, go to bed.”
Naida held his hand and looked at her father, Hades smiled back at his daughter and kissed on her forehead. “You can sleep here with Naida as she needs someone to tell a story” and he entered into his bed room and closed the door.
Naida looked at him and smiled “do you have a story to tell? Because my mother always tells me a story so that I can go to sleep.”
Aaditya smiled “Yes my little highness.”
In the middle of the story Aaditya was telling Naida, there was sound coming from bed room. “Shh…” Naida kept her finger on his lips. He waved his right hand “What?”
“Can you hear the sounds?” she whispered and smiled.
“Yes” he nodded, as he knew that it was husband wife thing in bedroom. But Naida was a kid and she didn’t need to know much about it.
“I know, this happens thrice a year. It is called seasonal love” she whispered. That made him surprised and embarrassed; no idea what to reply on that little girl’s question, he hesitated.
“No, they do it in proper seasons, my mother told so and she also told me that one day I have to do the same” she stared at him.
Aaditya was little confused and embarrassed; but he had to answer that little fellow otherwise she would not stop asking, she knew everything, seemed like they were more advanced than human beings. Then the sound stopped “thank god” he whispered. She smiled and patted on his chest “lets sleep, I need to sleep.”
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Next day morning Aaditya got up earlier, Naida was still sleeping and snoring blowing his eardrums. “Quite a rare talent of this little girl” he thought.
He came out of their hut and looked around; someone was cutting the woods with his axe. He stepped forward and saw Duster was cutting the wood to make a boat. His companions were also working on the same.
“May I help you?” he requested. Duster looked up at him and ignored his request and continued his work. He sat on the wood lying on ground and yawned long. “You could probably go and sleep” Duster mocked. It was quite clear that he didn’t like him from very first day. The others also showed their dislikes.
Aaditya looked at them but said nothing, he kept silence and thought to sit idle was good idea. Then a thin figured goat came to him and introduced himself “My name is Hamper and they don’t like me too.”
Aaditya smiled and replied “I am Aaditya.”
“I know who you are” he smiled.
“What about you?” Aaditya asked him.
“Oh, I am like them, but like you too. But most probably they would like to kill me first if my father was not a former Hades” he added.
He smiled and answered “You are one of them and they love you.”
“Hamper… Hamper” someone called him in middle. “Oh I need to leave you, hope you will enjoy the day” he left Aaditya there.
He looked up at the sky “The color of the sky is same, and the soil is same. Grasses, woods all seem like earth then what this place is? No human” he wondered for while.
“Aaditya” called Hades. He turned around, “Here you are” Hades kept his hand on his shoulder and sat by him on that wood. His face revealed what was troubling him and Hades could easily smell the smoke. “What is the matter?” he asked Aaditya but there was no answer that could justify his unpleasant mind. He kept quiet and smiled back “Nothing, just want to end this journey.”
“Umm…” Hades sighed “it has to.” he better thought to leave him there alone for his own time with himself.
The team was ready for pushing the boat into river, Hamper left for his home before night fell, because he was unable see in dark.
Aaditya left for the river bank as he wanted to see the boat, morning they would leave for the lost ocean which would take them to the gate of netherworld, the land of dark lord.
Duster came in mid night to Hades and knocked on the door. All were almost asleep but his hasty knocks awoke all. Naida shook Aaditya to awake. She could hear some whispering outside.
“What is the matter?” Hades asked with surprise. Duster was breathing heavily. “Duster” Hades asked again, his wife put her hand on her husband’s shoulder as she was scared.
“Oh come on please speak up” Hades screamed. Duster looked up at his friend and said “Finished.”
“What?” Hades asked briskly.
“Yes, we are done here” Duster spoke again vague. “Our journey ended before it gets started.”
“What do you mean by that?” Aaditya asked and stepped forward.
Duster glared at him and replied nothing to his query. “Oh come on” Hades asked “tell us clearly what happened?”
“Green moon” Duster told the reason.
“Green moon!” all muttered the same except Aaditya and Duster. Aaditya asked “green moon” he had no idea about green moon. Human world is accustomed with white moon not with green magical moon of different world.
“Green moon is the symbol of closing the gate of lost ocean and if so happened then we cou
ldn’t travel for hundred more years. This was under the rule and you, Aaditya will be here with us for that time frame.” Hades added.
“There must be some other way” Aaditya asked.
Duster made sarcastic remarks “Look who is talking sense.”
Hades stared at his best friend and told him to shut his mouth. Hades went inside of his bed room and brought a directory made of ancient time paper, a giant directory. He opened the middle page where the green moon’s details were given. He read “The Great Green Moon.”
Duster looked at the directory, “we have a hope”. Aaditya stared at both in searching for an answer. “If we” Hades asked his friend Duster and looking at each other’s. Aaditya looked confused and wanted a clarification what is happening.
“So, we need to leave right now with first tide” Duster said. Aaditya looked at Hades. “We are leaving” Hades agreed. Hades’ wife was scared and confused, and really didn’t want to be apart from her husband. She started crying and Naida was looking at her mother abruptly, Hades wanted to say something to soothe her pain; he also didn’t want to stay away from his love and daughter.
They had packed food, water, dry foods and fruits with them. Duster had brought up arrows and bows, swords and spears for self protection. Aaditya knew what to take with him, but only thing that he really didn’t feel like he was dead.
They pushed their boat in the direction of bigger star which used to show the direction to gate. He saw his wife, Slista standing with a lantern in her hand with their daughter Naida. His heart stopped for while as they started sailing with the sound of waves in water, he loved them too much. Duster held his hand and said “We will come back soon, once done with this.”
GUIDANCE
“Souls will guide us?” asked Vikram in surprise.
“Yes, my dear friend” she replied. Loka had the complete knowledge of this place. She found out the soul blueprint of that labyrinth. She was going to use it and release herself. They stopped her near that pillar from where four different paths led, but which one they would select. He looked at her and asked “Which one?”
She replied “next to left one.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Hmm” she replied “sort of.”
“Sort of, what makes you sort of” Vikram looked little worried, frowned his head.
“Yes, I tried those two paths already, so that makes me sort of sure” she stammered.
“Really!” he looked confused again; they couldn’t take a chance like this. “Use them” he said pointing another path disagreeing with her.
She replied in anger “No, I cannot.”
“You want me to rot here” he snorted, “just give it to me.” They started arguing with each others. Then Loka slapped his face hard “you fool. Do you really think I love to stay away from my children and husband? I am trying to escape from here, and if use these souls to guide us then dark lord will find us as soon possible. We need to go to right place and use this otherwise we will be dead soon.”
The hard slap made Vikram little realized that Loka was right about this place. She was trying her best to keep them safe and escape. They just picked up the path to extreme left as Vikram doubted about Loka’s suggestion. She also didn’t want to hurt Vikram’s feelings as already she slapped him. So they took as he said so.
They heard screaming, coming from a vault; someone was trying to break that one, punching on its wall to break and free itself. The sounds were really unpleasant to ears.
“Devil” Loka cursed because she was scared “we shouldn’t be here.”
He looked at her and the vault, the punch marks on its walls. Loka held his hand “run” she whispered to him. Both started running in the direction they came from. The screaming of that creature inside the vault made others captured in vault crying and screaming.
They got out of there and back to the square, pillar. Vikram was tired of running. “What was that?” he asked. She stared at him and teased “Why don’t go and ask yourself?”
Then she looked at him and smiled, “that was the Vault section where the most dangerous creatures are kept. When they require they release in war. I have tried two more paths in right sides those are more dangerous as compared to this one. First path I took led me to the oil tank where all traitors are being punished and second one is much worse than first one. Second one is made for those who spy, they are being tortured everyday to find out the information, now don’t ask what kind of tortures as names will break the courage.”
He was tired and what if the last path led to another dangerous place. He wanted to ask but nothing would come out unless they both tried their last hope. They knew they were running out of time and hope. The last hope which might lead to home, she took out her blueprint and opened the cover. Vikram looked at her, a smile appeared on her face, and the blue colored souls with wings started flying out of the box. Five souls had come out and all were looking at Loka except one who was looking at Vikram.
That one soul turned around and whispered to other four, which made Loka little worried and Vikram, was nervous, what was now. Their leader, she spoke “We can take one of you to home, so you both decide.”
Loka replied “But there is no such term. And we are together. First I need to find my husband Huster so please help us.”
She replied “We are bound to follow the order who finds us. We can help you to find your husband and can lead you to the last door of this world but we cannot take this soul with us. We can only take living beings not souls. He is the property of dark lord and he belongs here.”
Vikram had nothing to say on this but he was glaring at Loka as he lost his last hope get home. Then that soul came closer to Vikram and whispered “You don’t belong to this place, I know it but we are sorry we cannot help you, but you can do it, just think of it.” And she flew to her flock.
Loka offered “Okay, he will not leave with us but he can stay with us as long as I am here in this world, is it okay?”
All of them discussed and agreed to Loka’s offer. “There is a pond of white fish; they purify the souls and bodies of sinner. You need to swim into this” they asked Loka. Loka knew this before and she was looking for this pond only.
“I want to find my husband first” Loka asked.
“What is his name?” leader asked.
“Huster” Loka took her husband’s name with eager.
Souls all gathered and started whispering to each other’s again. “What?” Loka screamed “I have found you all and you all have to guide me what I ask for.”
The leader got annoyed with her action and screamed back at her “we don’t help traitors; your husband… is a traitor. He is the one who told about you. He is the one who has told the secrets of hidden tribes. He has killed his friends and still you want to save him. He serves dark lord; he will never come with you.”
The soul flew away, that hurt Loka. She was alive with one single hope that she would go home with her husband, waiting for him in black prison. Now all these turned into vain and bitter dreams. Blue souls who were guidance of path never lied. Tears slid down her cheeks.
“I wish these holy white fishes can eat my bad memories of Huster” she wished.
“It will” a blue soul whispered to her.
“She was right, Suzanne was right” Vikram muttered.
“Shit…” Loka cursed. Vikram looked at her, frowned his head. “Suzanne can hear her name from anywhere in this world” Loka grinned. He was scared now. “Jump” the leader commanded and four of them took Vikram in their arms and kept him across the pond. The white fishes started jumping on Loka as she drowned into the pond.
Duster’s real face
The boat already had faced terrible tides of the lost ocean. The moon turned fully green and higher tides were due its full green moon, they had to reach the gate before it was closed by the gate keeper.
“The gate…” Aaditya screamed, as they all could see what he was trying to inform. The sounds of gia
nt tides were suppressing their voices even they were too close to each others.
“Yes the gate” Duster pointed out with his finger. “We are bound to obey his rules to enter into” he added.
“God, help us. We should hurry” Hades muttered.
“But will gate keeper let us pass?” Aaditya asked.
“Once his father helped him building the gates” Duster replied with a smile.
Aaditya shouted with laughter in joy, “The god is with us.”
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A divine messenger knocked on the door “my lord.”
“Speak up” Kortex responded angry, he had no respects for divine soldiers and messengers. But he had to obey orders from heaven in exchange of favor from heaven to him. He was the most poisonous snake and deserter, he had begged for a place to exist and gods had provided him a place name lost ocean to watch over and report.
“The Prodigy soul” the messenger informed, Kortex stood up on his feet from his bed and stared at him. “The prodigy soul” he muttered.
“Yes my lord, it is not fully sure but we have doubt that could be the prodigy soul and it is sailing on the lost ocean.”
“The lost ocean” he smiled “Interesting.”
“Hades and his friend Duster are with him” he added “We already have bribed Duster for this job but he cannot bring that soul here, you need to deliver the soul to heaven that soul and kill Hades.”
“Hades” Kortex whispered and smirked, he waved his hand to leave.
Kortex took his old knife and threw and hit at a portrait hanging on the wall. That was none other, Hades’ portrait. The oldest animosity between Kortex and Hades took a new birth after long time.
Two hundred years ago, when Kortex fought against Torriyan in lost ocean, which lasted for several days, Kortex was given order to kill him. But battle ended in the coast which was under the Hades’ jurisdiction. Torriyan won but he didn’t kill Kortex and left him there. Hades and his friends took Kortex in their village and took care of him but the dark lord’s intervention made Hades and his tribe to abandon Kortex and no help if they had done then dark lord would pour his wrath upon them.