by ASHUTOSH RAI
And then one more news spread like a forest fire. Sharak had made plans to siege Virnagre and for that he had asked Jakrant to help. He had collected a large army of evil creatures. But Jakrant denied and went to an unknown place in universe to do Panchtatva Puja. We don’t understand that why? It was a golden chance to regain the lost states rather than making us finding the truth behind the news of the departure of Evil Lord. We started building our strength back as it was before. Sharak and his men were defeated and Nasur became handicapped because of the merciless wrath of Abhiyudh and Dravid. He was left live because of generous Hi Len Duerk and Mandhir. The Emperor had won all his land of Virnagre back. We freed our feudal states with our bravery in aid of the fine quality weapons made by dwarfs, by Elcleis’ sorcery and sharpness of divine sword, The Virum Blade, which always was in Emperor’s hands while he was in battlefield for ten years. These ten years had made us tired. The heavy and merciless bloodshed of ten million soldiers has filled heart with remorse.
Sharak flew away to Gorkhein, the island made of Charcoal. There are hills of the same name collectively called as Charcoal Hills and the dark witch Saile resides there in the Charcoal Palace made in north of the Volcano. She is one of Sharak most powerful legion and in those she was the most useful weapon for Sharak. Our army reached there but we found nothing. They were there hiding under a secret cave near the volcano surrounded by small charcoal hills. The land was boiling on the command of Saile and everyone would have died but luck was again with Virnagre. Elcleis was there. By his magical spells, he defended all of us and took everyone safe outside of that island. By then he had lost almost of his powers because he was affected by the spell of Quakjajaru. He was the first man who had nullified its effect.
When Our Emperor returned he made all his feudal states independent and asked their friendship. And it was for the first time after a long time that there were no feudal in Purvakhand but Independent Kingdoms.
Now this was a long period of fifteen years to the marriage of royal couple and the queen gifted a brother to “Charan” on the bank of Saraswati River when the pregnant queen was taking bath on the rivers bank and so the child named “Saraswatichandra”. And then a forecast made by Raj Gurumata which has driven the concern of Jakrant toward the sons of Vikramchandra which inked the plot of roughest Tyranny. She announced that Rudravir has born as Saraswatichandra to author the last page of Evil Lord Jakrant’s life.
The Capital city was busy in celebrating the birth of infant Saras and in the sound of celebration, the master of evil had returned. The Evil Lord Jakrant was back. With the start of second prahar, a massive ball of fire strike the building of the first layer of the fortification with a tremendous blast but it could harm it. The royal palace, assembly, temples and other buildings and their walls were safe but not the life. And then sky seem removed. For the first time we saw the black space from naked eyes. It was magnificent. We gazed the sky with awe and then a black cursed shadow emerges in the space. It was Jakrant. We can’t see his face. We were frightened. He opened his eyes. They turned filled with fire like sun and he shoot the walls of first fortification. They fell down. Sharak has returned with the greatest danger Jakrant. Jakrant then fired an arrow of immense power and it broke the second fortification. Then Jakrant created a tornado from Saraswati River which destroyed the great bridges. Our city was no more united one. There was no bridge. Our force of ten thousand soldiers was just as an ant before the great army of Sharak. They were about four lakh in number. The Battle of Angagrah started and war had entered the interior of city with start of third hour of second prahar following a kind of massacre never seen or heard before. Sharak has used all the white and evil magical spell he knows and all his legions including Saile, Alihar, Rubbak, Jobark, Ketushutra, and the powerful Bhadrabar who was half-brother to King Harintdev of Ardhwaya. Our Emperor slew Bhadrabar in duel during the battle. With start of third prahar, the demons were losing the battle because of chakravuya planned by Dwarf King Dirgha and Elcleis. The two Satyarathi fought ferociously. Elcleis has created a small portal to mouth of Volcano. Mohammad Sakri, Kurien and Nandkant led the three troops of infantry.
Rikkshar army leaded by Dravid, stood right in an arc line behind the infantry courageously protecting the archers. Naudhiti and Noor, the two main commander of Arkja had already died in Angagrah defending the walls of nine layered fortification of Angabhumi. They were slayed by an Ahi. The team of remaining forty Arkja warrior under my leadership, rushed inside the fort, charged for protection of royal palace. Arkja was a group of best lady warriors chosen from different parts of Purvakhand. We all were frightened. We were fighting against the group of most dangerous flying lizards of the world. We joined Hi Len Duerk and his two hundred mountain men on the great tower to fight the team of dangerous creature. They were just four in number but an army of thousands. They were giant, horrible, filled with rage, winged and forged in shadow of evil possessing amazing powers. Some fires fire and some showers ice. It was almost impossible to pierce their hard black skin. Vraka was in-chief and the most powerful Ahi. The horizon by then had nearly drawn the sun beneath it. Bravely we killed his three companions and successfully pushed him outside of the fort, flying our special spear over him. It was very heavy, made up of pawvajra, a cold green lustrous metal made by dwarfs. It was the single weapon made of that single metal of its kind. They had designed it specially for perishing the body of the flying lizards. The spear was engineered by dwarfs in mines under mount Pous. As Vraka flew away, slowly we started gaining the upper hand when cavalry led by Emperor hastened to demolish the foes. He was holding the divine sword “The Virum Blade” which was capable to slain the evil man of supernatural powers. Seeing that his disciple Sharak was losing the war, Jakrant who was seeing all this silently from sky knowing the powers of blade which was in the emperor’s hand, launches “ANANTASHTRA” an ancient celestial arrow of immense power named after Anantvir by his hands. It nearly devastated our army. The portal conjured by Elcleis was now closed due to Anantashtra.
Elcleis launched big fire walls to save the city from Black flag. Saile broke those walls by her magic. The confrontation of Elcleis and Saile would have ended on the same day if Jakrant had not defended Saile. No one could see his real body. He was incorporeal. The smokes emitted by fire used in war formed his eyes and if you look into his eyes then your body and soul is filled with unbearable pain. Elcleis too suffered it. He started bleeding from his nostrils, eyes, ears and mouth. The next moment he was swaddling in air and was thrown to the big tower. He didn’t stand and we assumed that he was dead.
Jakrant captured the entire subject of the kingdom in a translucent bowl of air. He put a proposal of two points before the Emperor. Emperor either had to kill his both sons, and have to take an oath to leave his sword and his kingship for saving his subject or Jakrant would kill his entire subject who were captive in the bowl of translucent air along with the two sons of the Emperor. We may had not lost the war till Emperor has the sword in his hand but we may have lost our people whom we and our Emperor had cared the most. Before the emperor was his family and his subject. He had to make a choice. Then we were unknown to the fact that Jakrant fears the power of the blade and it is his trick to make the blade defected and powerless. Emperor agreed the proposal to kill his sons and leave his sword and kingdom for sake of lives of his subject. He ordered his first son to come along with his infant brother. Our Emperor swung his sword and was about to kill his innocent sons, the Rajmata, literally the queen mother, came between them and sword made its way in her heart. She started breathing her last. With her last breath, she pleaded Charan to ran and save his and his brother’s life. King grudgingly sped to catch his elder son and for a second time swung his sword in air. Charan kicked the king’s abdomen hard to save you and himself. The sword falls on his left hand with blades giving a sharp cut on his elbow. Shrilled in pain the elder brother took his younger brother ran to the big tower. He could had escaped by jumping from
the tower but before he could jump, his leg foot slipped on the smooth floor of wall and he with his infant brother together fallen into the Saraswati valley.
He drowned before my eyes in that strong deadly stream of river fall. Nandkant and I were then near Elcleis. By the grace of destiny, he was breathing. We closed our eyes. I tried most to not believe on what I saw. But I could not deny the truth. I saw the blood sprouting in water but could not see that the nature blessed you by hanging you on a branch of Orange tree near the fall of Saraswati Rivers. We thought that no one of two remain alive.
Charan had died but he saved you. It is said about the sword that whenever the sword would any innocent women, any wise and kind men or any infant and if anything which is good and holy in sense is harmed by the sword then the sword will lose its power for a small unknown period of time and may lost its divine look leading to birth the death of the man who had done any type of sin by the sword knowingly or accidently.
As the Rajmata died at hand of his son. The sword had lost its power and the emperor realized his mistake. He came back to battlefield and sprints ahead slaying hundreds of soldiers of the black flag. He was before Saile and Rubbak, weak and tired. With his every try to finish those evil he was going weak. Finally Sharak and all his legions together murdered him brutally in the battlefield. And the last stab our Emperor got was from Jakrant by Virum blade.
Dirgha was imprisoned and taken to his own kingdom where he was hanged to death. Elcleis used all his powers and took the Virum Blade from the grasp of Jakrant and flew away to the Great Range of Uttarmathons so Jakrant would never have had reach to it. It is a curse that Jakrant or any other devil can never have their reach to Karil of Uttarmathons. One Step on it will turn them in ashes.
Sun hides behind the dusk. Away from every sight, you were hanging on orange tree. It was our Queen who saw you live and asked as to save you and grow as our real son. Sharak was drunken in lust and our queen gave up her life to save you and her purity. Dhwajkant, my young son of nineteen died while we were trying to escape.
Angabhumi, the beautiful capital city of Virnagre was burnt and a river of molten gold of floors and palaces of city flows down the hills of Ananthiya.
My mother-in-law cursed Jakrant that the sons of Vikramchandra will end his despotism.
Jakrant destroyed the city of Angabhumi in the great flood which he had created by water of Saraswati and by the lava of Vitra Volcano but could not destroy the strong wall of the royal assembly because of the power of Shivalinga which was on the top of royal assembly. Even today it shines but is now just a ruin of Angabhumi which remains to warm your eyes with the beauty of nature. That war had cursed the land with skeleton of its own people.
From twenty three years they were thinking that you too died in that assault. And a dark silence under the horror of black flag of Sharak had kept threatening the soul of the wise men. We could do nothing to stop him. We all were fallen on knees, unnerved and wounded.
This is the pain which we are suffering from past twenty three years. And this is what your real identity which I do hide from you for your welfare. Jakrant has turned an old saying wrong: “the two parts of capital city is not just area divided by river but it is eyes of Anantvir. Thus the city is most safe because eyes of Anantvir can be gobbled up only either the Trideva together or Anantvir himself can destroy the city. Except them no one can even shake or move any brick to nail’s point.” Jakrant has not just destroyed a city. Indeed he had raided the great pride our ancestors. It is true that you are THE ONE WHOM FUTURE AWAITS.’
The story brought a copious flow of tear with a volcano of anger in the eyes of Gita, Nandkant and young Saras. Saras entwined his frown brows, sniffing and staring the smoke whiffed up in air by the lamp.
‘Now go and sleep. Tomorrow after your marriage we will leave for some other place. I don’t want any war. War can never result a peace,’ Gita orders Saras with tears in eyes. And he implemented the same for the night without rising any hesitation. He tried to behave usual because he did not want to hurt her feelings. She already had suffered much for him. He knew that he can’t pay for everything that Gita had did for him. He closed his eyes in calm.
Getting the Lost
Wind has its blow in pace.
Life is a path of dreams, secrets and sunken face.
Some will die, some will rise. But it is the path can’t be avoid.
Next morning when Saras opened eyes, he saw dark smoke hovering just above his black eyes. And then he caught a smell like something was burning. He rose to his feet with a frequent shiver. The room was full of smoke. Gita and Nandkant were unconscious. They had inhaled large amount of smoke. He took them outside of the house and pumped their heart pushing by his hands for eight pala so all the smoke comes out and they gain back their consciousness. Then he saw that the entire village was burned. Many were dead and those who remained live were swarming outside of their respective houses which had been fired by Cauvcrachs.
People were wailing, frightened and clutched in grief. Saras heard that after midnight The Grand Witch Lady Saile had attacked the city, burned the villages near the capital city and murdered the general, massacred the main market and took Kumud for sacrifice with her to Gorkhein hill which made of steady Charcoal which can be burnt and demolished only by “Vitrastra”.
Saras can’t belief the word of his villager. He was seeing bitterness with a desire of hope in their eyes. Their eyes feign loyalty. He was startled as no one was dead in his village. It all was a smartly planned. He darted to check the truth and found that the local market was destroyed and a black flag was rising high on flagpole of the market. He stared the black flag and the eyes made on it. They appeared to be bulging out of smoke. A big notice was drawn on a black cloth at a pole in middle of market where the heads of general Vikrant and Swayambadha were hanged. Saras read the warning words written on notice: “All over the World, it is known that no one can dare to face the anger of my Emperor Sharak and The Evil Lord Jakrant who is even more powerful than the deities and demons. Knowing all this, the general of Vatvriksh betrayed the Emperor and this is the result of his sin. His daughter will be next prey for hungry vibrant Cauvcrach after Witch Lady will suck her beauty in forever.”
Nandkant and Gita along with remaining villagers comes to the place. Crows were snatching flesh from body of the dead. Nandkant was not shocked, neither had he feign to be. He knew the possibilities.
Nandkant said, ‘They never leave any one alive. Whoever they took with them, they never came back. And that Charcoal Palace, a very dangerous black magic prevails there.’
A hatred voice hurled into their ears. ‘Truly said Nandkant. Truly said but now your words cost no worth. You escaped the fire but many lives are gone. Already.’ This was Nasur. He was smiling sinisterly holding his sword with his left fist. Its hilt was designed with metal eyes of fish. Surrounded by his ten soldiers, Nasur said, ‘I am surprised. You escaped. I know what you are thinking. You did a mistake and many died. But again these nerds are enjoying and hugging each other before their death. They were celebrating the return of their Rakshak. But unfortunately you can’t save them. You and your family shall die. These all shall die like others who are fallen dead and soon that girl will be too. Dead.’
‘Bloody Nasur,’ groaned Saras. ‘Today I will improve the mistake of Satyarathis.’
Nandkant came in front of Saras and held his hand to stop him. ‘You can’t kill a handicapped man.’
They heard a death cry. Saras gave a vicious smile and Nandkant turned. Gita had took a spear from the bunch of massacred body and she didn’t missed it. It had thrust in Nasur’s mouth, shutting it for always. Nandkant and the villager looked at her awe-inspiringly.
‘What?’ she asked. ‘Be normal and straight. He was a sinner and you knew this - no forgive to a sinner. Saras, we will save her.’
Saras stared at the soldiers who were guarding. They put their swords, spears, shield and stepped back retreating.
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‘That’s good,’ said Nandkant. He turned to Saras. ‘I think it we can defeat them if you wield that ancient hammer.’
‘A hooded man took it with him,’ said a soldier before Gita and Saras could say or react any approval. ‘He came and wield it. He spoke nothing and neither had he killed anyone. He went back with the silence he had come.’
Nandkant stared the soldier quizzically. He felt the truth in the calm voice of soldier. Gita gazed Saras. She could clearly see the grown marks of tension on his forehead. She said, ‘Saras, what are you thinking. It is very simple. You are blood of Vir. Your ancestor Satyarath was a celebrated warrior. In a single Prahar he slew two hundred Ahis. Your father was a respect king and a brave warrior. Kumud is the best choice for you. She had accepted you as her husband and now after her father’s death. You are all to her. She is your responsibility. I am with you. GO AHEAD. Remember there are always some evil. No matter big or small because virtue triumphs against evil. Always. Either by talk of words or by tongue of swords.’
Nandkant held his hand on Gita’s right shoulder. ‘Do you remember you said me whacky but now what? How you can do this? We need an army for that. Don’t you read the message of black flag? Remember Nasur, the king of Kundey is dead and when this news will caught fire then conditions will go worst. Only we three can’t battle against Saile. We will be beaten. She will arrest us and then supply us to Sharak for his night meal. Your sayings are totally absurd. You can sense what happened here. Warrior like Swayambadha is murdered yesterday night. I am sure that Saile herself must had come here.’