by Sarah Noffke
Chapter One Hundred Two
Being able to kill the scorpion goddess was a huge relief to Sophia because she didn’t know how they were going to incapacitate Chelamma without harming her. Now it was a no holds barred situation, which meant no limits.
Sophia unleashed a series of fireballs at the exact same moment her sister did. The good news was many of them hit the scorpion goddess. The bad news was many didn’t, and they ricocheted off the walls of the temple and flew back at the sisters, making them both have to dive and duck to avoid getting scorched by their own attacks.
This gave Chelamma the chance to pounce, and her heavy pincers sliced in both Sophia and Liv’s direction. The Hindu goddess remained stable on eight legs as her torture devices went to work, snapping at them.
Sophia rolled, bringing her sword up to counterattack the claw headed for her face. The pincer and her blade met in a battle of steel against claw. The harder Sophia tried to press against the pincer, the harder Chelamma pushed. It was like an arm-wrestling contest, except the prize was life and the punishment was death.
“Not today, Satan,” Sophia said through gritted teeth, mustering extra strength and pressing the claw down. When she forced past it, she brought her sword up and around slicing through the pincer, severing it completely.
A scream like nothing Sophia had ever heard before reverberated through the chamber and made both sisters cringe. It gave Liv a momentary advantage, and instead of lopping off the pincer she had been battling, she swung Bellator around in a flash of green light in an attack powered up by magic. With a series of movements, Sophia’s sister took her breath away, chopping off the scorpion goddess’s head and sending it rolling to the side of the dusty temple as her large body fell to the opposite side, crashing as her many legs gave way.
Liv somersaulted in the air away from the awesome attack and landed in a crouched position, Bellator to the side of her and her blonde hair partially obstructing her face as she breathed hard.
Sophia was breathless for many reasons, but the biggest was that she had just witnessed the coolest act of heroism of her entire life.
There was no one like Liv Beaufont in all the world.
Chapter One Hundred Three
“Chelly is even scary when dead,” Sophia remarked, peering down at the decapitated head.
“Ugly too. I definitely wasn’t asking her for fashion or makeup tips,” Liv joked.
Sophia looked her sister over, ensuring she was okay and realized that was what Liv was doing as well.
“Did you even break a sweat?” Liv asked her.
She patted her forehead lightly. “Just a tad. Should I powder my brow? Am I shiny?”
“Not at all,” Liv said. “You’re picture-perfect. But I fear your hair is going to get wet when we leave.” She pointed to the ceiling of the temple where the rain continued to pound overhead.
Sophia shrugged. “I’m cool with it. I like rain now.”
Liv actually laughed at this. “A Los Angeles girl saying they like rain is a first. Usually when it rains in La La Land everyone stays home, afraid they will melt.”
“Well, their hair and eyelash extensions probably would,” Sophia remarked.
“Yeah, or when they do actually go out but only wreck their cars,” Liv added, stepping over the massive body of Chelamma. “Let’s go get that kanike. Being in here gives me the creeps.”
“Really?” Sophia questioned. “Is it the hundreds of dead scorpion carcasses or the giant one that gets to you?”
Liv glanced around as though seeing all the arachnid bodies for the first time. “Oh, those. I rather like them. They give this place a bit of flair and personality. But the dust is awful for my allergies and I can’t stand not having windows. Really, would it kill the Hindus to install a window in their temples?”
She was about to stride into the next dark room when a figure appeared, blocking the path. For a woman who had not appeared the least bit fearful facing a giant scorpion goddess, Liv jumped backward and screamed like she saw a ghost.
Sophia pulled out her sword at the same time her sister did, both of them taking fighting stances.
The figure stepped forward into the light cast by the orbs. It was a man in a long yellow robe with a white beard and mustache. His hair was fashioned into a bun on the top of his head and he was barefoot as he shuffled forward, his hands held together in prayer.
Sophia eased a little, realizing this must be a monk of some sort who watched over the temple. As if he didn’t notice the two sisters standing ready to strike, he strolled around them and eyed the dead body of Chelamma.
“Um…hey dude,” Liv said, cutting her eyes at Sophia.
She knew what her sister was thinking. Finding Chelamma in the temple was expected. But a man was strange since the place had been sealed up for a long time.
Without responding to Liv’s casual opening, the man turned to face them with an unreadable expression on his face.
Liv indicated Chelamma. “She started it. We just had to finish things.”
“Whenever you point your finger at someone, three of your own are pointing back to you,” the man said, reciting a famous Hindu proverb.
“Right,” Liv said, nodding to the doorway. “We’re just going to pop into the next room and grab a little something.” She backed for the dark archway before pausing. “The shrine for Chelamma is this way, right? I would prefer to take the most direct route.”
Sophia shook her head, disbelieving Liv was having this conversation with the strange monk.
“There are hundreds of paths up the mountain, all leading to the same place,” the man began, his voice sounding like he was chanting. “It doesn’t matter which path you take. The only person wasting time is the one who runs around the mountain, telling everyone his or her path is wrong.”
“So, not this way?” Liv dared to ask, pointing at the doorway where Chelamma had come through.
Sophia indicated the opposite side of the room, where there was another door. “Maybe that way?”
“We could try splitting up,” Liv offered.
“Help your brother’s boat across,” the monk began, reciting another famous Hindu proverb. “And your own will reach the shore.”
Liv shook her head. “No, she is my sister. My brother isn’t nearly as attractive, but don’t tell him that. Not that I picture the two of you meeting. He never gets out and definitely doesn’t frequent old haunted Hindu temples.”
Sophia could not help but laugh now. “Okay, let’s just go on this way. It makes sense Chelamma was guarding her shrine where the kanike is located.”
“The three great mysteries: air to the bird, water to a fish, and mankind to himself.”
Liv shook her head as she walked past the monk. “Yeah, okay, Frank. We’re going to catch you later. Thanks for the words of wisdom.”
“Frank?” Sophia asked when her sister strode up next to her.
“Well, he didn’t introduce himself, so he got named,” Liv explained.
“We didn’t introduce ourselves either,” Sophia said, giggling.
“I said, ‘Hey, dude,’” Liv argued. “He didn’t even say hi back. He just started pushing his holy agenda on us.”
Sophia cringed slightly as they entered the other room, their light orbs following them. “Do you think it’s possibly bad form to tease the monk in his own temple?”
“What do you mean?” Liv questioned, looking around the large room and trying to make out the details. “You think it’s sacrilegious? Then I’ve got a whole bunch of people I need to apologize to. If Frank has a problem with it, he can take it up with my boss. Usually people let it go when they find out I work for Father Time.”
“Who, by the way, is going to kill you for murdering Chelamma.”
Liv nodded. “Don’t I know it. The irony isn’t lost on me. But don’t worry, I’ll deal with him. First, though, we need that herb, but this place is huge.”
“Shut out the physical world,” the monk
chanted, following them into the large temple room. “Control the mind. Then you become free.”
“Oh good, Frank is here,” Liv said.
Sophia laughed, taking in the space. It was much larger than any of the rooms they had come through. Most of the area was empty, save for artwork and sculptures on the wall. The ceiling was domed and Sophia could make out more carvings on it, like on the outside of the temple. At the far side, she spied something that looked like it could resemble a shrine.
“Hey, over here,” she called to Liv.
Her sister looked away from a mural on the wall she seemed to be trying to decipher, Frank at her back, calmly watching her like a museum docent ensuring she didn’t touch the artwork. He didn’t seem to mind they’d slaughtered Chelamma, but get too close to the murals and they were getting booted, Sophia thought, laughing to herself.
“What did you find?” Liv asked, hurrying over and Frank shuffling behind her. She glanced over her shoulder. “Yeah, you can come too, Frank.”
“Certain things catch your eye, but pursue only those that capture the heart,” he said as if in response to a conversation they were having.
“Dude, this guy is like how Subner was before you fixed Cupid’s bow,” Liv complained. “Constantly spouting hippie phrases.”
“I think he is trying to help,” Sophia told her, eyeing the man at Liv’s back.
Her sister turned around and stuck her hands on her hips. “Here is something that would help. Where is the herb we seek? Our prize for slaughtering Chelamma.”
Frank bowed his head slightly, his hands still in prayer. “When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.”
Liv sighed, turning back around. “That’s why he isn’t getting invited to dinner. Thoroughly unhelpful.” She leaned forward and whispered, “He is a bit preachy and I bet silently judge-y.”
Amused, Sophia spun to face the large structure on the back wall. It was a shrine for sure. The large statue of Chelamma made her shiver, the memory still fresh of facing her and all her babies. Around the shrine were many tiny statues and Sanskrit writing on the floor. There were no bowls of herbs or other offerings, as Sophia had expected.
“Hm… maybe it’s in another room,” she mused, striding with her light orb and taking in the space fully to ensure she wasn’t missing something.
“Maybe,” Liv said, her tone speculative as she knelt and ran her hands over the Sanskrit. “But something tells me it’s here and we have to figure something out.”
“Like a riddle,” Sophia said with a sigh. “There always has to be a riddle, doesn’t there?”
“Yes, because defeating a bunch of scorpions and their goddess is never enough,” Liv joked.
“There’s nothing noble about being superior to some other man,” Frank stated, not having moved from his spot. “The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.”
“You know what, Frank,” Liv said, glancing up from the writing she was eyeing. “Be a part of the solution, not the problem. Have you heard that one?”
That seemed to shut the monk up momentarily. Liv continued to study the Sanskrit as Sophia explored the artwork on the wall, looking for clues.
“As a Dragon Elite,” Liv began, ruminating on an idea, “don’t you speak all languages automatically since you’re world adjudicators?”
Sophia nodded. “Yes, but I can’t read it if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“That was exactly what I was thinking,” Liv replied, disappointment in her tone.
“Yeah, the translation happens automatically,” Sophia explained. “Kind of like how the Doctor’s Tardis does the translation for him and his companion.”
Liv glanced up, a glint of pride in her eyes. “You’re like the Doctor. I love it.”
“I bet he can read it.” Sophia pointed at Frank.
Liv shook her head. “We haven’t spent much time together, and I already have little faith that he’s a team player.”
“What does a monkey know about the taste of ginger?” Frank replied, not looking offended.
“Look who is calling me a monkey,” Liv retorted, appearing offended. “I’m not the one who lives in an ancient temple surrounded by a forest full of monkeys, now am I?”
“When an elephant is in trouble, even a frog will kick him,” Frank imparted.
“Enough with the animal clichés,” Liv groaned.
As if delighting in doing the opposite of what Liv asked, Frank said, “Love is a crocodile in the river of desire.”
She rolled her eyes. “Dude, you really know how to push my buttons. Is your last name Sweetwater? Could you possibly be related to a fae I know?”
Sophia didn’t think so since he didn’t have that drop-dead gorgeous factor all the fae shared. She pulled her attention away from the random, weird thoughts. They had a mystery to solve and a herb to secure for the king of the fae.
“Do you have one of those translation apps on your phone?” Sophia suggested, pulling out her own device to check.
Liv did the same, and they shared frustrated expressions. “Absolutely no service.” She flashed her phone at her sister.
Sophia nodded. “Magitech is a fickle thing. I’ve had cell reception on a different planet, but inside a Hindu temple, not.”
“The power of God is with you at all times,” Frank chanted. “Through the activities of mind, sense, breathing, and emotions, and is constantly doing all the work using you as a mere instrument.”
Liv rose and gave the monk an annoyed expression. “I would like to use you as an instrument.” She tapped her finger on her lips. “What are we missing? Besides a thorough knowledge of Sanskrit and a restraining order on Frank?”
Sophia laughed, pausing beside her sister and staring at the writing. “I get you two don’t get along,” she said, looking back at Frank, “but I think he is trying to help. We just have to decode his proverbs.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Liv agreed. “We have got to ask the right questions.” She pointed down at the Sanskrit and pointed. “What does this say? Preferably in your words and not the Bhagavad Gita.”
“A book is a good friend, which reveals the mistakes of the past,” Frank replied.
Liv nodded. “Yep, that seems about par for the course. Thanks for nothing, Frank.”
“No, but I think there’s a connection here,” Sophia said, her eyes drifting back and forth as she thought. “You mentioned the Bhagavad Gita and he replied with a proverb. I think he is limited in the ways he can communicate.”
“You think?” Liv asked sarcastically.
“But,” Sophia continued as she worked things out in her head. “If we, like you said, ask the right questions, he can offer us insights via proverbs.”
Liv glanced up to the ceiling, a pleading expression in her gaze. “Seriously, you can’t just ever give me something after I defeat the baddie. No, I have to make friends and decode a bunch of riddles.”
Sophia pressed her hand onto Liv’s arm, encouraging her sister to shush it. She looked directly at Frank. “How do we get the kanike?”
“They who give have all things; they who withhold have nothing,” he replied.
“I’ve got something I can give you,” Liv joked.
“That’s it,” Sophia said, putting it all together.
“What is it?” Liv asked. “I’m supposed to give Frank a knuckle sandwich?”
Sophia shook her head. “No, we have got to give something to the shrine.”
“But we killed Chelly,” Liv argued.
“Yeah, but the kanike is formed by the offerings and gifts given to the scorpion goddess,” Sophia said, watching Frank’s reaction for any clues as she spoke. “So even though we slew her, we have to give something to get something. I bet that’s what the Sanskrit says.”
“Well, Frankie?” Liv asked, looking to the monk for confirmation.
“Great minds discuss ideas,”
he began. “Medium minds discuss events. And little minds discuss people.”
“A yes would have sufficed,” Liv said, rolling her eyes.
“I think that was his way of saying yes,” Sophia stated, feeling around her person for something to offer. She had her sword, her clothes, her phone, and pretty much nothing else. “I’m not sure what to offer, though. Does it need to be something valuable or does it not matter?”
As if in reply, Frank said, “Rivers don’t drink their own water. Trees don’t eat their own fruit. Clouds don’t swallow their own rain. What great ones have is always for the benefit of others.”
“I think he is saying it doesn’t matter,” Sophia imparted. “It just has to be something from us.”
“Yeah, my boss talks in the same riddle-like way.” Liv patted her cloak. “I have a bag of gummy frogs and a two-minute timer.” She pulled the candy and a small hourglass from her pockets.
“What is with the timer?” Sophia asked.
“Don’t ask,” she answered. “A bad joke on my bosses’ part.”
“You two are cute.” Sophia double-checked her pockets. Usually she carried a chocolate bar or something to refill her reserves, but she was all out.
“Here, I’ll leave the timer.” Liv handed Sophia the gummy frogs. “You can eat those and pretend they’re that jerk frog from the craft store.”
“Gladly,” Sophia said, taking the candy but offering one to Frank first.
He held up his hand, as if declining and said, “Eating while seated makes one of large size; eating while standing makes one strong.”
“A simple no would have worked, Frank.” Liv put the timer in front of the shrine.
Nothing happened.
Thinking, Sophia popped a gummy frog into her mouth. “I wonder if we both need to give something.”
Both sisters looked to Frank for confirmation.
He said, “He who does kind deeds becomes rich.”
“Well, there you go,” Liv exclaimed. “What do you have?”
Sophia frowned. “Only important stuff like my sword and phone.”
The monk pressed his hands back together. “Kill a cow to donate shoes.”