by Nihar Sharma
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The guard couldn’t find Vikram in pit and was answerless to his lord. He waved his hand to the guard to leave. Dark Lord muttered “Everything, I have to do.” He went to the magic bowl filled with black water and he dipped his hand. Vikram in pit heard sound of some big creature approaching to him; something huge, and he saw up a hand grasped and lifted him.
“Huh…” Vikram screamed in fear and rolled down on the ground.
LOCKER - THE HIDDEN PORTAL
The gate keeper jumped over the wall made on the way to chamber of dark lord’s. Aaditya got stuck among the thorns and iron bars on walls. Gate keeper whispered “Aaditya hurry, if anybody comes then we better be dead.”
Aaditya looked at him with opened mouth and whispered in air “Dead? I am already dead” and he crossed up the wall, some bruises on his legs and his trouser tore against thorns.
They traveled so far to have the blue colored sorcery stone known as Blue Stone, the most expensive and powerful gem that gods also wished for. The stone held the two most powerful weapons, one for endless war and another for perpetual peace but never used.
It was the most powerful tool wanted by gods, evils, and human too. The blue stone dark lord had discovered deep down the hole in the netherworld. It was believed that gods had started the war just because of that stone. There might be various reasons but that was the most obvious reason. The dark lord was keeping this in his vault. Only the prodigy soul could find and unlock those two powerful magical weapons for war and peace.
“Shh…” the gate keeper kept the finger at his lips and asked for silence to Aaditya. “There is someone” whispered the gate keeper.
“The guards” Aaditya replied.
“There is a locker and password is ‘om’, go and get what is yours” gate keeper said to complete his journey. It was awkward for Aaditya as he never saw such kind of modernization with magic; they fought with swords, spears and password for lockers.
“That path will lead you to the chamber of lockers” gate keeper pointed him the path. He looked at him and frowned in surprise. “What” gate keeper asked, “Oh, lockers… there are so many lockers but you need to find one where stone is kept safe, and please don’t ask me which one seriously, I have no idea” gate keeper said and smiled.
He was little annoyed, he had to go alone. He looked at him and asked “Why are you not coming?”
“I would but one has to stay here to see your back” the gate keeper answered. He nodded and left for locker room, hiding from guards. He stopped near the door and looked back, gate keeper smiled, a smaller door compared to the others but silver colored door shining in dark, and caption on it ‘you will save us if you fight for weaker.’
“This is the door to lockers” he whispered himself. “Shit” he cursed gently; there was a deep ditch beyond the door, looked down but darkness, no aisle to get to lockers. He sighed and looked up at lockers and muttered “Really!”
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Vikram was resting in bed in dark lord’s chamber, his fair face turned glorious in fire flame’s light’s lightest touch. He suffered a lot but now his destiny was closer turn around.
Dark lord was watching him, then a guard came in and informed “my lord, the king of gods have left from hermit’s valley and started approaching to southern gate.”
“Where is the commander?” Dark lord asked, “Summon him immediately.” The guard left for the commander.
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The king started riding faster; the valley was covered with dust and dirt. The marching of huge army had made smog to breathe in, the beating drums were causing irritation to hermits but they had taken flesh in exchange of their safe passage. Hermits were not used to it; they were silent species and loved to stay hiding.
A black eagle in sky was flying over supervising the heaven’s army’s move.
“It is very rare” the commander uttered.
“What” the king asked briskly.
“The black eagle” the commander waved a signal for aiming the arrows at it.
The king commanded “Stop”. “Release ours behind it” he smiled.
The commander released the white eagle after it to follow. The king smiled hard and looked at commander, “Now the journey will be much fruitful, the fool Naduse.”
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“Stop” the guards screamed.
Aaditya looked back; the guards stood too close to catch him and he now could see those lockers. He had two options, either to be caught or to jump inside the door. He closed his eyes and started murmuring “jump”, “jump.” He opens his and turns back the guards are very close enough to catch him. Their hands were too close to tighten Aaditya’s neck and then he heard the sound “Hurrrr….” and took all those guards with him down.
“Run, Aaditya run” the gate keeper screamed. Aaditya had to cross the door and he screamed hard before making a jump. He jumped inside. The tranquility prevailed seemed time had no control over here.
He took a long breath in and looked around, amused by the chamber’s beauty decorated with only lockers made of gold, silver and gems studded on them. He looked up at the top roof of the chamber and that was of water, the water was for protocol breach and cooling the lockers power. The chamber was holy as it seemed from the architecture.
Aaditya was confused and amused, but he had to find the main locker where stone was kept.
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“My lord” the commander stopped and got off the horse. He picked up the white eagle lying dead on ground. The king looked at commander and nodded. The commander waved his hand to his second lieutenant for hoisting red colored flag for all so the army could alert themselves with danger ahead and step aware.
The huge red colored flag having seven horses in middle, hoisted. The army had been given alarm about the danger ahead. They were now in enemy territory.
The king commanded “bring archers to frontline.”
This was the common practice when army stepped into enemy territory; they used to keep archers at first row so any strange things happened so they could just fire to eliminate the risks.
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Vikram flinched “where am I?”
There was nobody who could answer his query. The huge room like he never saw in his life and after life and a huge bed where he was resting, sofa just in front of bed, the dining hall was attached and beautifully crafted tables on silky carpets. Fruits were on table and the fire lamp was on to keep the hall warm. No noise, the peace everywhere and golden pots for water and wine. Vikram shrugged and approached towards the table where the fruits were kept, the green apple was much tastier, he took a bite and felt like heaven in his mouth, ate like he was starving in that pit.
He realized that he was pulled out from the dark pit and whoever did so he would like to do anything for him. Then he heard a sound of foots steps approaching to him. He hid behind the pillar in fear.
“Don’t worry” a sound echoed inside the chamber. But there was no response from Vikram. Dark lord took long breathe and smiled, walked gently to pillar where he was hidden. He kept his hand on his shoulder “Don’t worry, son. We are at same side.”
Vikram nodded and without uttering single words he came out but head down. “Have you had something for lunch?” asked lord in caring voice.
Vikram nodded yes and kept his head low. He knew that dark lord used to hate disobedience otherwise he would like to throw him back into that dark pit and he didn’t want to go back into that dreadful rotten pit.
Dark lord patted on his back and asked “Okay take rest, we will meet tomorrow.”
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The groaning sounds of a dangerous monster from inside the mirror were making him irritated. Prince was unable to concentrate due to disturbances created by this monster, he had to find the locker, the iron gate was closed forever, the only magical portal was vulnerable was through the hidden portal inside the magical locker.
“Shut up” he screamed hard. The creature shut its mouth for while and then it roared louder than before.
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Aaditya whispered in air “It is locked inside the locker itself”, ‘it cannot harm me’ a thought occurred to him. “If it is guarding the stone inside the locker, then it….” his eyes got widened, seemed he found the clue. But he had to locate the locker sooner. Sooner he found the locker the sooner he would close the hidden portal. Yes he was right, the portal was open and anything could come in. His body started trembling, when he heard screaming seemed he knew that, but he had to keep his foot towards the sound. He had to follow the screams then he could find that real locker among lockers, like finding a needle in a haystack.
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“My lord” a soldier pointed out a location from where the light was coming. The prince was staring at that point and asked briskly, “What would it be?”
The commander in second battalion moved forward pushing the soldiers and stood near the prince “I think it’s a secret door” he said and looked at prince. Prince agreed by nodding. The commander ordered, “Bring that mirror here.”
A soldier brought that mirror to commander. “Just move its face towards the light” he commanded. The soldier did same as he was commanded and screaming became stronger and frequent and louder. “That’s a gate to netherworld. We need to approach now.”
“But my lord” a soldier hesitated. “What is the problem?” commander shot a angry look.
“How will we control this creature? It will be more powerful in netherworld and it will not listen to our commands” soldier added.
Soldier’s concern made a sense, and commander started mulling over it. The prince intervened, “We don’t require controlling this creature. We will cut him loose and let him search for his own prey” he smiled at commander and that soldier, and started moving forward.
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All the lockers looked like same and something miracle happened then, the one locker, old and rusty seemed different from others, but password encrypted with black magic. A creature was inside and his frequent and louder screaming confirmed the original locker.
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“My lord, we are near to that light” the commander said. The soldiers stopped there for next order to move. They all were very close to the gate and first time marching into hell fighting a mighty force like their king. But how to open the gate was unknown to all. All were looking at each other’s; the prince was annoyed and punched on the door. Then an idea crossed his mind and he called for the mirror to put to the gate. The soldier kept that mirror in front of that door.
The sharp claws came out of the mirror; all were shocked and scared, prepared their shields and swords and spears. But it attacked the door with its sharp claws and tore the gate into pieces. Soldiers cheered in laughter.
The scratching sound and then clanging sound came from inside, Aaditya heard, he stopped in middle. Then a huge blow on the wall of final gate of the locker, yes the portal was opened from other side and none could open it from outside unless the password was spelt.
Aaditya was scared and confused to the situation whether to open it or not. “What will happen if the locker is opened?” he thought.
He breathed in long and spelt the password “OMMMMMM…..’ the locker cracked, and the door got opened. He smiled but it couldn’t last long, a first blow on his face was from a sharp claw, pierced his face and he fell down, monster jumper over him and left the chamber. Soldiers started coming out of locker cheering.
He was down on ground, panting in pain then his eyes caught that magical stone, the most beautiful. He smiled and tried to reach to it but the commander of heaven’s army pierced his heart with his sharp blade.
THE FINAL BATTLE
“My lord” the commander tried to stop king. King stared fiercely and commanded “Archers, Fire!” looking at commander’s eyes. Commander looked down with no hope that his lord would make any difference to his king.
He whispered, “They are innocent tribe my lord.”
King asked “why are they innocent?” “They killed our white eagle” he screamed at him.
The commander replied with eyes down in soft voice “my lord, they live on hunting and white eagle was nothing but a prey to them and…..”
“Stop” the king cut in. He looked around the army was watching them. King breathed in and said to him gently “enemy is enemy, my friend. Remember this.” And he moved out of the conversation to watch the archers’ performance into the dense forest. Archers started firing the arrows covering the sky, raining into dense forest.
The whole jungle tasted the blood of those innocents; a blood river flowed in jungle. King laughed out and glared at commander whose eyes were wet in pain. The corpses marked his mind. There were kids too lying dead on the ground, mothers had their babies breast fed dead with their kids and the kids who are alive crying in agony turning the jungle into hell.
Commander commanded “burn the bodies and take kids to our orphanage centers, we will bring them up under our custody and they will join our army one day.”
The king stared at him but commander showed no fear this time. It looked like something rebellion, building inside his heart. The king realized it but he kept silence for that moment as the best action.
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The prince laughed out in joy; the gate was opened for heaven’s army. Now his father, the king of gods would reward him, love him and make him the throne king. He would sit beside his father in courtyard during the counsel.
The soldier came and pleaded “my lord.”
“What is it?” prince asked.
“The army is here and they outnumber us. We need to hide till our army comes inside.”
The other two soldiers nodded and agreed with him. Prince looked nervous. Dark lord would spare no one and he was nothing before him. So they decided to scatter and hide until heaven’s army broke into.
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Dark lord felt itched in his right eye, seemed something jabbed in, he checked with his fingers. A blood droplet ran out. The dark lord’s face turned pale seemed someone had opened the locker. The stone was still in underworld. Heartache was the sign of taken away from his world, and he cleverly designed these to keep it much safer.
Vikram heard some unpleasant noise from next building. He peeped through the window, a huge monster was crushing soldiers with his mighty claws, chewing and tearing them with his mighty jaws and roaring harshly. Souls and soldiers were running for their final existence.
His eyes got opened in awe and trembling in fear, standing doing nothing but watching them all screaming, running and tearing apart. Then he heard a known voice in middle of the chaos.
“Aaditya” Vikram whispered. He could now feel his presence, “oh god” he muttered “the monster will kill….” After long time he heard his friend’s voice. He again jumped out of the window without any hesitations for his friend.
The guard ran to dark lord and informed about the monster, he turned around and took out his sword named ‘SLAYER’, forged in the heart of hell and equal to thunderbolt in power. He looked at it and sighed, waved the guard to leave. He rushed to Vikram’s chamber and found he already left out of the window.
Vikram rushed on roofs, and reached to veranda, the creature saw him coming and it jumped in and stopped his path. Vikram jumped on the back of monster an
d slugged on its forehead. The monster fell on the ground and he rolled to the corner of the pillar. Monster again rose and roared hard at him.
Then monster looked at its father, yes he came and standing behind Vikram, a sharp shining sword in his right hand. He said to Vikram “go inside the locker room.” He ran inside. “Aaditya” he screamed and rushed to his friend. Aaditya was lying down, blood gushing out of his body, the hole in his chest. Vikram took him on his lap. Aaditya looked into his friend’s eyes and smiled. “Where have you been?” he asked. Vikram had no answer and broke into tears “I have been here waiting for you.”
Tears slid down on his cheek. Aaditya took his last breath on his friend Vikram’s lap and slowly, his body turned into sands slipping from Vikram’s hand. “Aadityaaaa” Vikram yelled, dark lord heard his yelling in pain.
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The king walked into a half burnt and wrecked hut; the commander also got into that hut.
“This might be their lord’s hut” the commander spoke.
“Umm…” king agreed. “Do you know commander why these tribes are so strong?” king asked the commander. The commander understood the point behind asking this question but he didn’t bother to reply, the king already smelt the rebel. “They obey; they never hesitate to follow orders. They are united by one mission” king added.
King stepped closer to the commander and took a long breathe and whispered to his ears “If you don’t follow my orders, I swear, I will burn you alive in the holy pyre.” Then he walked out and called “Commander.”
“Yes my lord” commander came out in hurry. “Do you see what I can?” asked the king.
“Holy trinity” the commander got stunned with the view. King smiled back and patted on his back. “These are unicorn’s fleshes” soldiers rescued from the burning huts. Commander laughed out. “The myth is uncovered. It is true that unicorns are flourishing and we are starving for power, youth and strength” the king said to commander “and you called them innocents.”