The Skull Warrior

by Yajat Sharma

  Notion Press

  No.8, 3rd Cross Street,

  CIT Colony, Mylapore,

  Chennai, Tamil Nadu – 600004

  First Published by Notion Press 2021

  Copyright © Yajat Sharma 2021

  All Rights Reserved.

  eISBN 978-1-63714-543-2

  This book has been published with all efforts taken to make the material error-free after the consent of the author. However, the author and the publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

  While every effort has been made to avoid any mistake or omission, this publication is being sold on the condition and understanding that neither the author nor the publishers or printers would be liable in any manner to any person by reason of any mistake or omission in this publication or for any action taken or omitted to be taken or advice rendered or accepted on the basis of this work. For any defect in printing or binding the publishers will be liable only to replace the defective copy by another copy of this work then available.

  Dedicated to my caring sister Jagriti and my inspiring parents – Ritu Dwivedi and Anish Prasad – without whose steadfast support and encouragement, this second book in my trilogy of THE FOUR ELEMENTALS, would not have been possible.

  More than reader’s appreciation that I received after publishing of the first book titled Quest for the Arcane Crown in 2018, it was the encouragement and constant motivation given by my family that I could complete the second book in the trilogy.

  About the Author

  Yajat Sharma, born on 30th May 2006, has been an avid reader since the age of three. His passion for reading inspired this book through which he gave life to his creative imagination. Typing skills gained at an early age of five helped him in being a published author at the young age of 12 years.

  Yajat has conceived the story of “The Four Elementals” as a Trilogy. On 29th July 2018 at the India International Center, New Delhi, India, the young author began his writing journey with a grand launch of his first book titled “Quest for the Arcane Crown”. The book touched #No. 2 on the Amazon’s Bestselling List in its listed category. This creative work of Yajat also gained entry into the India Book of Records under the Appreciation Category with a medal and citation. The readers received the book with unprecedented love and gave feedback along with suggestions. Yajat has incorporated the feedback and suggestions in the revised edition of the book published by Notion Press in 2020.

  This second book in the Trilogy titled THE SKULL WARRIOR is being presented before the esteemed readers. Yajat has completed writing the third book in the Trilogy titled THE PAGES OF DESTINY which will shortly be published by Notion Press.

  Yajat is imaginative, focused and expansive. He is happy, congruent, and possesses a mature and optimistic outlook towards life. As a young adult, he exhibits a never-say-die spirit in whatever challenges he takes up in life.

  Yajat resides at New Delhi along with parents Dr. Ritu Dwivedi and Anish Prasad and sister Jagriti.

  Yajat can be reached at:

  authoryajat@icloud.com

  www.facebook.com/authoryajat

  www.instagram.com/authoryajat

  www.twitter.com/authoryajat

  www.youtube.com/authoryajat

  1

  Matt woke up with a jerk and looked around. He could remember his dream clearly.

  He took a deep breath and forced himself to be calm.

  After defeating the Death Lord in the Dark World – another world that existed invisibly deep inside the Earth – and trapping him inside the legendary Arcane Crown, Matt and his friends, James, Archer and Daniel, had returned to Earth. Time moved differently in the Dark World. One hour in the Dark World equalled one month on Earth. It had only been a week since the children had returned to Earth, when their trusted friend and loyal servant of Lord Arcane – the Scavenger – contacted them in their dreams.

  The Scavenger told them about how the Death Lord had managed to soak the power of the Arcane Crown and had summoned a deadly creature known as the Skull Warrior, who could free the Death Lord. But he could not say by when that would happen.

  When the children were leaving the Dark World for Earth, the Scavenger requested the children to let him contact them through dreams in case he needed any help. Without even trying to assess what the future might offer, the children had impulsively committed to helping the Scavenger again.

  The Skull Warrior

  Matt shuddered. The name was creepy.

  Light streamed in from the open window. Matt looked at the clock on the wall; it was seven in the morning. He had some time before online classes began. Due to COVID-19, schools had shifted to online mode, but there was no let down in discipline.

  He quickly got dressed, and called his friends on a video call.

  “Hey guys,” Matt said. His friends looked tense, and Matt could instantly make out that they had had the same dream.

  James said, “I guess we all saw the dream. We were lucky to have survived against the Death Lord the previous time, and, moreover, the Skull Warrior’s a lot more powerful than the Death Lord.” James sighed. “We did agree to help the Scavenger, but now I am having second thoughts.”

  Matt was thinking along the same lines. “Oh. It wasn’t a dream. It was a nightmare. I don’t want the Scavenger in my dreams again.”

  “Really?” Archer said. “As far as I remember, I think it was you who said to the Scavenger, ‘Anything for a friend!’”

  “What else could I have said?” Matt protested. “That, ‘Oh, sorry! We already risked our lives once, and we don’t want to risk it again. Good luck fighting the Skull Warrior! We have other important things to do.’”

  “Well, no, but you could have refused politely,” Archer said.

  Matt stared at him. “Oh! By the way, please tell me, how do you politely refuse to save someone’s life? I am very eager to know.”

  Just then, James gasped. “We are late! Our teachers will eat us alive!”

  Matt ended the video call with his friends and logged into the school’s online classes.

  The day was hectic. Matt was early to bed, hoping he would have no more dreams of the Scavenger.

  Alas! His wish did not come true.

  In his dream, Matt was standing somewhere deep inside a dense forest. His friends and the Scavenger were beside him.

  The Scavenger was difficult to recognize.

  Cuts and bruises covered his whole body, and he was bleeding heavily. His Lightning Sword was in his hand, and it was crackling with electricity.

  “What happened to you?” The children shrieked at the same time.

  “We just left you for a day, and this happened,” James said. “How irresponsible are you?”

  The Scavenger frowned. “Oh please. Your one day in Earth is actually two years in here, and a lot has happened in the two years.” He raised his hand. “Just listen to me! Do you remember what I told you about the Skull Warrior?”

  The children nodded.

  The Scavenger paused for a second. “The Skull Warrior has finally arrived in the Dark World.”

  “Would you care to explain in detail?” Matt said.

  The Scavenger said in a hurry, “The Skull Warrior has almost controlled the whole of the Dark World. Dark forces have risen, and things are getting out of control. The Skull Warrior has poisoned people’s minds against me. All the good forces in the Dark World have gone into hiding. Somehow I managed to escape, but the monsters of the Skull Warrior have inflicted grave injuries on me.”

  The Scavenger suddenly jerked his head. “The connection is breaking. We don’t
have enough time. I hope you have not forgotten how to come to the Dark World. Find the mark in the library in your school, then board the portal and come to the Dark World. Make sure you move together. You will find me at the spot where the portal opens in the Dark World. If you see warriors in armour with signs of skull and crossbones, run away and fend for yourself. Don’t try to show off your bravery by fighting. I will find you anyhow.”

  “When should we reach the Dark World?” Daniel asked.

  “Right now, of course! We don’t have enough time.”

  “But it’s midnight here!” Matt protested.

  “Anything for a friend,” the Scavenger reminded Matt, and then his body dissolved into vapour.

  “I am beginning to feel sorry I said that,” Matt muttered as the dream faded away.

  Matt woke up. He got dressed and left his house. He was sure his friends must have seen the same dream and that they would be coming out of their houses too. Matt waited.

  James was the first to come out. He ran up to Matt. Daniel and Archer followed.

  “What do you think?” James asked.

  “About what?” Matt counter-questioned.

  “You know… risking our lives again, fighting monsters and demons...” James said.

  “Well, you wouldn’t believe this, but I am feeling excited,” Daniel perked in between.

  “Excited! What for?” asked James.

  “Using my Elemental Powers again,” Daniel said.

  The children recalled how, in their previous adventure in the Dark World, they had met Aronicle, who had awakened the children’s powers. Matt, James, Archer and Daniel controlled wind, water, fire and earth respectively. They had used their Elemental Powers in their quest to get the broken pieces of the Arcane Crown and finally trap the Death Lord.

  James said, “We should strategize and plan well.”

  “James is right,” Matt said. “We should think about this. What about our school? What about our parents? What would they think if we disappear like this? What if we get stuck in the Dark World?”

  “The first question’s obvious,” Daniel said. “Saving the world is a lot more important than attending the boring classes at school.”

  “As for our parents, they wouldn’t even know we are gone,” James said. “Let us plan for a year in the Dark World. One month in the Dark World means one hour on Earth. Twelve months means twelve hours. It’s midnight. Well, if we start right now, we will come back to Earth at noon. Simple. Our parents have to worry about us only for a few hours. And anyways, due to all this virus trouble, no one wants to get out of their houses, so even if the police search for us, their movements will be slow.”

  “Yeah, okay, but what if it takes longer than a year?” Matt asked.

  “Well, so what? Exactly what would we face when we come back to Earth? Just scolding from our parents. That’s a small price to pay for saving the world.”

  “And what if we get stuck or we die?” Matt asked.

  Archer said. “Be positive. Not COVID positive, mentally positive.”

  Everyone chuckled.

  Archer continued. “Don’t worry, we will get out of the Dark World some way or the other. Have faith in ourselves and the Almighty.”

  “And as for the final doubt, if we’re dead, we wouldn’t be there to think about it,” James said.

  On that positive note, they set off towards their school.

  When they reached the school, the children at once made for the library. Matt recalled how, previously, during the quest for the Arcane Crown in the Dark World, they had searched for the portal to get to the Dark World. The Scavenger had given them a riddle, which they had solved. There was a book on the seventh shelf of the library. Inside the book was a word, which on pressing rotated the shelf, revealing a dark space, which in turn led to a maze. This time too, James followed all these steps, and a scroll tumbled out. In it were written the directions to the maze.

  James led the way, and the others followed. It didn’t take much time. When the children reached the portal – a swirling vortex of sand – they glanced at each other, nodded, and then jumped into it.

  2

  They tumbled onto the ground. They had entered the Dark World.

  Matt was up almost at once, wary and ready to fight, but there was no apparent danger. They were standing in a clearing. Around it was a forest of thick undergrowth.

  The children waited for a long time. They were now getting very bored and sleepy, when suddenly the bushes rustled. The children snapped alert.

  The Scavenger stumbled out, covered in sweat and blood.

  As the Scavenger ran towards the children, another man in red armour ran out of the bushes. He threw himself at the Scavenger.

  The Scavenger turned and blocked the attack. He punched the man hard on his head, knocking him unconscious. No sooner had the Scavenger done this than more men in red armour came out of the bushes.

  The Scavenger raised his lightning sword and chanted a spell.

  Bolts of lightning struck the ground hard. Within no time, all the warriors were lying in tatters.

  “Who were they?” Daniel asked as they ran towards the Scavenger.

  The Scavenger sheathed his sword and bent down. He was breathing heavily. “The Red Warriors. Sent to hunt me down. It was the millionth time I refused to be defeated.”

  The Scavenger stood tall, but lines of exhaustion were visible on his face. “Ugh. Creating that lightning sure is difficult.”

  “By the way, thanks for being so happy to see us,” James said sarcastically.

  The Scavenger looked at him quizzically. “What?”

  “Aargh!” James shrieked. “Some gratitude for us?”

  “Oh. Well... thanks for coming?”

  “Never mind,” James said, sighing.

  “Let’s go at once. It won’t be long before the enemy’s backup arrives.” He started walking, and the others followed.

  “What has happened to the Dark World?” Matt asked. “When we had left, everything seemed to be all well.”

  The Scavenger stopped and shook his head sadly. “The Skull Warrior rules the Dark World now. Many of my men have gone into hiding, and the others are being hunted and killed.”

  “What do we do then?” James asked. “Don’t we have another Arcane Crown to save the day?”

  “I don’t think so.” The Scavenger started walking again at a rapid speed, the children jogging to keep pace with him. “We need to approach Lynx, also known as the Man of the Rock.”

  “Who’s he?” Archer asked.

  “He is very old,” the Scavenger said.

  “What do you mean, he’s very old?” James said. “I could say my grandfather is old too!”

  The Scavenger groaned. “I mean that Lynx has existed for so long that he knows the dirt on everything. He’s full of experience. I think he can tell us what to do to defeat the Skull Warrior.”

  “Is he immortal?” James asked.

  “No,” the Scavenger replied. “But long back, he discovered a longevity herb which he consumed. He is ageing much slower than anyone in the Dark World.”

  “But what if he doesn’t help us?” Matt asked. “What if he wants to support the Skull Warrior? What if -”

  “What if you shut up?” the Scavenger interrupted. “We need to take things one step at a time. First, we will reach him, and then we will figure out what to do next.”

  “So, how much time will it take to reach him?” Matt asked.

  “A week, at the least,” the Scavenger said. “And that’s the last question.”

  They walked in silence.

  Almost at once, a savage howl came from nearby. It sounded as if a wolf was in pain.

  The Scavenger stopped and listened.

  Another howl came.

  The Scavenger turned in its direction and began running.

  “Hey!” Matt said, running after him. “Where are you going?”

  The Scavenger pulled out his sword and ran faster. T
he howl came again, and this time, it was closer. The bushes disappeared, and the Scavenger emerged on a clearing.

  A strange-looking wolf that had golden wings was lying injured on the ground with a bleeding paw. The Scavenger knelt beside it and examined the wound.

  A whistle of air alerted him. He turned... and sliced an arrow coming towards him.

  “Who goes there?” the Scavenger shouted, turning his head to detect movement. More arrows came in reply. The Scavenger kept slicing the arrows with his sword.

  Then, men in robes carrying thin swords and bows emerged from the bushes and rushed at the Scavenger. But they hadn’t taken one step before a wall of fire erupted around them.

  Archer’s face was scrunched up in concentration as he maintained the wall of fire through his Elemental Power.

  The Scavenger stood up and walked up to the wall of fire “The Wolf Hunters,” he whispered to himself, recognizing the outfit of the men.

  One of the men spoke from the other side of the wall of fire. “I am Mort, the leader of the Wolf Hunters. You have prevented us from taking our kill. You must pay.”

  The Scavenger frowned. “You were about to kill an injured animal. What is the fairness in that?”

  Mort shrugged. “Dude, ever heard of the cycle of nature? And by the way, who are you any-” He peered closer and gasped. “It’s you! The Scavenger!”

  The Scavenger bowed. “At your service.”

  “Get him!” Mort yelled and then jumped over the wall of flames.

  Archer lost his concentration, and the flames dissolved. As Mort landed in front of the Scavenger, he pulled out two swords and attacked. The other Wolf Hunters rushed forward, and the children quickly engaged them with their Elemental Powers.

  Rendering a powerful elbow strike at Mort’s shoulder, the Scavenger spun Mort back and hit his left arm hard. One of Mort’s swords clattered to the ground.

  Mort gritted his teeth and came at the Scavenger again, but now he was weakened. One quick strike to the head and Mort sprawled to the ground unconscious. Daniel had summoned roots and shrubs that had tied down Mort’s army.