Chapter 7

The moon at the sky was partly covered by the cloud. The whole cemetery was covered with strange white mist, making it more difficult to see through. That mist was so dense that moonlight was not able to touch the land. Vinasha was moving here and there impatiently, trying to see what's going on inside, stretching his neck. It’s taking more time than he expected. Those few minutes, he spent waiting outside were felt like the most difficult time of his life. If he could, he would go inside the cemetery, but there was something, that was blocking him, not letting him enter. That’s why he took the help of her, Mandakini.

Mandakni, inside the cemetery, put the slab back to the grave like it was before. Standing there for a minute, she observed all the corners of it closely to see it was properly placed or not. She did not want to leave any clue of her presence which led to her by any chance. She erased the mark of her footsteps from the soft part of the land, wiping with her leg on it.

On outside, he was doing what he best could do during that moment of time; listening to every detail of the slightest noise coming out from inside.

Mandakini was witch, known for all the dirty works. Only thing she cared about the price. If it fitted with her demands, she would do it, no matter what. Vinasha knew, he chose the right person to do the job. Though he could not calm himself until he saw it with his own eyes.

While Mandakini was certain that she completely removed all the possible signs that could indicate to someone of her presence, she came out of the cemetery. He was eagerly waiting outside the boundary of the cemetery for her, rubbing his palm, walking here and there.

As that woman got closer to the gate of the cemetery, she became visible to him. He was looking at her face. He was trying to figure out whether she was able to do it or not. But, her face was hard to read, a neutral one in the scantly lighted night.

"Did you find it?" He walked fast to her and asked with excitement on his face.

"Living a task incomplete is not my style. I do not need to tell you that, do I?" she sounded cold and at the same time confident too.

"Just answer the question," he asked again. This time his voice became rude.

His chest was moving up and down fast.

"Of course I found it, otherwise I would not be here, standing in front of you," she smiled with a wink.

"Really?" a sigh of relief came out of him to hear that.

" What are you waiting for then? Show it to me...fast" he spoke again.

She could feel the blood rushing through his vain.

Not tasting his patient any farther, she handed him the thing for which she was sent inside that palce. It’s looked lik an ancient scroll.

Just a glance of it had turned him to a statute. For some time, he just kept starring at it. His eyeballs were like getting out of his face.

It’s a small scroll, not more than six inches, enclosed in both ends. Some symbols were entrusted all over it. From the look of it, it could be assumed that that thing he was holding was more than hundred years old.

"Can you believe it! I am holding the map. No matter how hard they tried to hide it, but finally, it came to me. Master will be very happy," his eyes were glowing with the feeling of joy and excitement while saying that.

"Tell your master that you have done a great job of waiting outside, while I was doing all the hard work and heavy lifting and taking risk for my life,"

"What are you trying to say?" he looked at her with anger in his eyes.

"I am saying that I have done my part of the deal quite well. So, it's your time to do your part," she replied, shaking her head.

"You do not need to remind me that. I do not lie like you humans. So, you will get what you were promised. But your job is not done yet. You have something else to do," he said, squeezing his bones of the jaw line.

He was moving his hands over the scroll, trying to feel the marks on it on his fingertips.

"What are you talking about."she spoke with an enraged tone," You told me to find the map for you, and I did it. My job is done. I don't like breaking the deal,"

"That was not the deal. The deal was to help my master to get what he wants, and this map is just a part of it. He is going to need some more items,” he took a step towards her and spoke pointing a finger at her,” Don’t try to play smart. You will get what you want only when you will do what you are told to do,"

She was looking at him with a scowl on her face, for some time without uttering any word. Then she looked away, blinking her eyes for several times, and then said him, “Speaking of your master, how is he anyway?"

"His body is healing. Though he needs some more time,"

"I heard some girl make him loose, is that true?" she chuckled.

"Make your words very carefully, Mandakini. You are talking about the lord. So show some respect,"

"I have nothing to do with your master. I am just curious about the girl. I mean she must be quite special to do that,"

"That's not your concern. Keep your focus only on helping him. It will be good for you too if he gets back his strength, and about that girl, she will pay for what she did. That girl is alive only because my master wants her to live,"

“Okay, fine,” she shrugged, "What do you want me to do now?"

"I will tell you when the time comes. One more thing, did you remove your tracks from the grave? I don't want anyone to reach to me following your steps,"

"You can relax. I know my job very well. No one will come, following me or you,"

"Okay then, I will contact you. But, for now, keep yourself underground. Don't do anything stupid,"

"I live underground anyway. You don't need to tell me that," she nodded her head.

"Good. I know how to find you," saying that, Vinasha walked away and got lost in the dark.

Vinasha was very happy. The day had come for which he was waiting for a long time. He got the map. His master would be very pleased to hear that. He could not wait to tell him that. With the excitement, to show his master the map, he entered the secret chamber where Ashtiyuj was resting.

"My lord, please accept the regards from your loyal follower Vinasha," he bowed to him.

"Vinasha, tell me that you here to give me the good news," Asthiyuj said in his roaring voice.

"Absolutely, my lord. I have got a map. Here it is," he took it out and gave him.

"You have done a great job. I knew you would not fail me,"

"I am honored to hear that, “he bent his head a little and asked again, “How are you feeling? Do you have some improvements in your condition?"

"I am healing, but it's not fast enough. I need fire to get my powers back." Asthiyuj roared.

"I know, master. That girl was able to cast you out from a human body. That's not ordinary magic. Those wounds are very critical. It will definitely take some time,"

"I can recall that incident in every second of my life. Me, Ashthiyuj, the most powerful creature on this earth, has defeated by a small girl, a pathetic human,"

"My lord, she is not just a girl. She is the heir of Bharata, the man who has locked you inside the temple of pillars for hundreds of years. We should not take her lightly,"

Vinasha's saying was reacted as fuel to his anger. Ashtiyuj roared loudly and threw the table kept on his left side to the wall.

It broke into pieces, with a smashing sound.

"That bastard once tricked me to trap inside that cold pillar and now his stupid little heir. I will destroy her. I will make her life so painful that she will beg me for death. " Asthiyuj's eyes turned red like burning cinder.

"Calm down, my lord, calm down. You should save your strength, "

"Don't tell me to calm down,"

"I can feel it, what's going inside you. There is a fire of revenge that is also burning me from inside. That old man has made us prisoners in our own world. He forced us to run, he forced us to hide and live like slaves. All these years, I was waiting for the moment when I will get my revenge." Vinasha was bitting his teeth in anger.

"We will get our revenge. Everything has planned perfectly this time. Bharata or his little slut won't be able to stop us. We will bring the fire of hell to the surface. This earth will burn again in the fire, and we will free our brothers and sisters from that trap."

"Right master, those humans must get what they deserve. We have to show them that they belong to our feet. When I would see them crawling, pleading for mercy, only then I will find my peace. "

"That day is not so far. But, You have to do exactly what I said. There is no place for mistakes, you understand that? " Asthiyuj asked.

"I know, my lord. I am making every step of mine with proper precaution as you have suggested."

"What about the 'Kaal Grahi' stone? Have you place it as I said?", Asthiyuj asked.

"Yes, I have placed it exactly where you have said. "

"Good, that stone is a great destroyer, the most powerful one. It can extinct an object from this universe within a blink of eyes. Humans think that they are smartest of all. No one can do anything to them. This time they will see what we can do." Asthiyuj pointed his index finger in the air while saying.

"This is just the first part of my entire plan. When the stone will expand its power, it will react. The fear of death always makes those humans vulnerable, and it will lead them to do the mistake. They will make the biggest mistake of their life and the doors will open for us." Asthiyuj stood up and laughed loudly.

But, as he has stood up from his stone chair, his legs were not able to carry his whole body weight. It felt like there was someone who was pulling him from the back of his head. Some kind of pain was raised in the knees and hip portion of Asthiyuj and finally he fell on the ground.

"My lord," Vinasha shout out while running towards him.

He held him with both of his hands and helped him sit on the ground. Asthiyuj leaned back to the leg of the chair.

"My lord, your health condition is not well. You should be resting." Vinasha sounded very concerned.

"Your wounds are not healed completely. You have to have some patience," he said again.

"I know, I know. But I lose control whenever I think of those humans. It's like every second is hard to live seeing those human celebrating"

"Don't worry my lord, this is not going to last longer, neither our pain nor their celebration. It's just a few days when they will be cry blood, "

Asthiyuj nodded his head. Vinasha helped him to sit back on his chair.

"My lord, This body is not capable enough to keep you warm. I think it's time for you to take samadhi for some time," he said with raising his eyebrows.

Asthiyuj gave him a tensed look to hear that.

"It will help you to gain back your strength quickly. You do not have to worry about anything else. You can trust me," Vinasha assured him.

"Is everything ready to do it?" He asked.

"Yes, my lord. I have brought everything that's going to be needed," he reassured him.

"Then, let's go. I will have some time in Samadhi. "

Asthiyuj and Vinasha both walked towards another chamber. It's a bathtub in the middle of that chamber.

"My lord, you just lie down in it and I will do the rest," he said pointing towards the bathtub.

Asthiyuj walked towards the tub and lied down into it facing upwards. He was fitted like a glove inside it. After he got inside, Vinasha moved towards a curtain hanged on one side. He removed it. There was a herd of a goat tied up. As he removed the curtain, their loud baas echoed every corner of the chamber.

He pulled one of them through its rope and brought it in a higher platform from the bathtub. The goat was shaking and baaing. Vinasha took out a big ax in his hand and chopped the head of it apart. The blood started to flow from the neck portion of the goat. He held the body of it and moved towards a slope. The blood, coming out from the goat was flowing through the slope and filled the bathtub where Asthiyuj was resting. He did that process again and again, and finally, Asthiyuj was completely covered in blood.