The Last Rudra

Gasping, Ishit doubled over with his hands on his knees. Non-stop sprinting for more than a pahar (three hours) had depleted every ounce of his strength. However, he had made it to the city. Ignoring his aching lungs, he looked in the distance. 

The red sun was the gash in the bruised sky. Below the ruddy sun stood a colossal statue of an armoured warrior holding a spear in his right hand and a shield in the other. 

Around his feet was sprawling the last city of Glassia as though prostrating in reverence of the unsung hero. 

Vasta had a rampart as high as the west of the stone statute, unlike the small villages or towns he had passed on his way here. 

Ishit steadied his shaking feet and stood up. He had to hurry, or no villagers would be left to tell the horror the defilers. Though Ishit had warned every village on his way, he doubted they would take it seriously.

You couldn't scare someone with an imagined ghost, more so if they had never seen one. 

Ishit jumped down from the hill and rushed down the path leading to the giant stone gate of the city. 

He approached the two fatty guards dozing off on the stone bench.  Dhrita was right people of this part didn't know how to spell death. 

Ishit looked around with a mischievous look, and after making sure one was watching him. He whispered a spell, and the stone bench heated up like a frying pan. 

"Darling, why are your hands so warm? " muttered one of the fatty as he sifted his ass. 

"How can Amber's bed be so warm? She is really hot?" mumbled the other. 

Ishit would have waited to see his prank cum punishment's outcome if he had not been in a hurry. 

The giant iron gate was open, so Ishit walked in, feeling his chest for Dhrita's medallion. 

The city's buildings were all made of stones or wood, unlike the village houses of mud. 

After asking an old sweeper and a red-faced butcher, he finally found the druids' shrine. 

Almost hidden amidst the giant maple trees, the white building had occupied nearly the northern part of the city. 

When Ishit got to the arched gate with Ivey vines running down, a boy in a brown cloak came out of nowhere and blocked his path. 

"May I know what's bring you to the Order so early? " asked the boy, as his gleaming eyes regarded Ishit. 

"I'm have came from Lamia with an urgent message," replied Ishit. "May have a meeting with reverend Apurva?" 

The boy looked startled, but he hid his emotions quickly. 

"I'm sorry. Reverend Apurva is not here right now. You can leave your message with me; I'm his apprentice, Ruchito."  said the boy, looking around as if making sure nobody was spying on him. 

If liars had a ranking system as spirit wielders had, Ishit was sure he would have ranked second only to Guha. 

With just a look on the boy's face, he knew the boy was lying.  But why? Maybe the smart boy wanted to hear the message. 

Whatever might be the reason, Ishit had no time for his foolishness. The defilers would be butchering the villagers by now.

He took off the black medallion the priest had given to him, hoping the priest hadn't overvalued the crude metal coin. 

"What if I have this?" said Ishit, dangling the medallion before the lad. 

"What is it?" Ruchito asked, looking at the pierced coin. However, the next moment boy's eyes widened as he snathed the coin. Ishit didn't stop him.

***

Ishit noticed the red marks on the lad's palm.  Someone had canned him brutally. 

Ishit couldn't blame the punisher after watching, helplessly, how the boy was jeopardising thousands of innocent lives just because of his fun. 

He watched Ruchito as he examined the black metal coin with nothing but a leaf carved on it. The apprentice's reaction surprised him. 

Ishit hadn't excepted that something from a priest of a remote village could surprise mighty druids. 

Moreover, he hadn't noticed anything extraordinary about the iron coin. 

"Where did you get this?" demanded the boy; his voice had lost amicability. He had hidden the coin in his palm; apparently, he had no plan to give it back. 

"From a priest called Dhrita. Look! It is really important. Thousands of lives are at stake. Let me meet someone with authority here." said Ishit. He was losing his patience. 

However, the boy didn't seem to hear his last sentences. 

"Dhrita,..." he mumbled, "I should have guessed.." 

"Hey! If you want you can have the coin, but ... "

A loud voice cut off Ishit.

"Look! What's our hostler is doing here?" Two boys of the same age were coming towards them. One who spoke had fiery hair like Okalians in Varta, and the other boy, grinning like a donkey, had blonde hair like Aslan, the king. They were both wearing brown cloaks like Ruchito. 

Ruchito stiffened. He quickly closed his palm as he turned to the newcomers, looking at them warily. 

A brew of emotions flashed on his face. 

"What are you hiding there?" demanded the red-haired boy.

"None of your damn business," Ruchito said, his face turned grim. Ishit could guess the newcomers were bullies like snobs of Minaak. He didn't know what he should do now. 

Should he knock them out and search the shrine for Apurva or some other by himself? Ishit deliberated his thought. 

"I think he is hiding horseshit, aren't you, Ruchito?" mocked the blondie, cackling like a duck. However, the redhead didn't laugh; he glanced at Ishit. A look of disgust flashed on his face. 

Due to his frantic flight, Ishit was smeared in mud from head to toe. Thought he could clean it easily, he didn't, hoping it would help him to convince the druids.

"What are you doing here?" demanded the redhead. " Shrine is not a place where a commoner like you can barge in."

"He is here with a message for master Apurva." said Ruchito before Ishit could speak.

"I think now you two will leave us alone now." 

The two boys laughed out, 

"and who gave you the permission to attend master Apurva's messages?" the redhead said. 

"Codes of the shrine. As an apprentice, I have the right to attend to my master's message and other tasks. "

Ruchito said. 

"You're nothing but a hostler. So go and clean the horseshit. And if you disagree with it , I'll gladly inform master Adard." said the redhead; the blondie giggled, " Now, hand over what the lad has given to you, or you know.."

"Or what? You think you can beat me. Don't push me too far, Maurya."

Ruchito said, clenching his fists. 

"Oh! Our hostler doesn't know how to respect their betters. We've to inform master Adard,"  Maurya said to the blondie, who seemed too pleased at the idea. 

Ishit stifled his overwhelming urge to beat them. He hated such idiots to death. 

If it had been some other day, he would have knocked them to the floor. 

But today, he needed their help, so he soothed down his emotions and said to Ruchito. 

"So, can I see Master Apurva?" 

"As I said  he is not here. You can leave your message with me. " Ruchito said. Ishit noticed his fist that had the coin tightened. 

"Lad! Don't listen to him. he is just hostler. Master Adard is currently sage druid and overseeing the shrine. You'd better tell him whatever message you have. "Maurya said to Ishit.

Ishit had no problem. So he readily agreed. For him, all the druids were the same. He needed help to save the villagers before it was too late. 

"You can't."Ruchito blocked his path, "It is against the codes. You'll be punished for this."

Ishit had enough of these snobs. The people were dying out there. He had no time to give a damn about codes. 

"Move aside, I have no time to play with you," Ishit said in a grave tone. The spirit gathered around him silently.

"No! I won't."

"Ok! then don't blame me."

before the boys could understand anything, Ishit picked the boy and threw him aside. Ruchito crashed into a maple tree. 

Silence fell on the other two boys as they gawked at him. Their popping eyes told him he had touched some taboo. However, he couldn't care less. 

He wouldn't mind giving a sound thrashing to all these idiots.

"Take me to Master Adard." Ishit commanded the boys. He wouldn't hesitate to teach them a lesson as well if they refused to lead the way. 

Of course, the boys didn't. 

"Please this way," all they said as they hurried down the path. Their pretty faces turned ashen white. 

"You'll regret this." Ruchito said, getting up and dusting off the leaves. 

Ishit shook his head as he followed the two boys on the leaves covered path. 

Dhrita was right; these druids' apprentices were weaker than his scullions. 

He prayed not all the druids would be like them, or the fate of Glassia …

He didn't dare to imagine. The defilers were not called the scourge of humanity just to scare naughty children. 

  Nearly one thousand years had passed since the dark era; their horrendous tales still sent a chill through the spine of a listener.