The Last Rudra

Taking support from the ragged stone wall, Ishit dragged his body on the worn-out stairs. His heart was still racing. He couldn't believe he had escaped the clutch of death. Now he didn't care whether he failed or passed the trial. All he cared now to take deep sleep while his mother caressed his face, and then when the fowler returned (of course if he were able to Ishit doubt Nirvano would allow him to leave so easily now), he would curse him to death.

Who would call it a trial? It was more like sending him on a trip where everyone was waiting excitedly to warm their hands. 

He doubted his father had any clue about this strange chamber that could send someone to the end of the world. 

He had to inform him about the fowler's real identity before it was too late. Ishit didn't understand why Bhadra had disclosed his secret to him. 

But again there were many things that were buzzing in his sleepy mind. 

Like who was this Izidor, and what happened to him, why he wanted Princess Sia, such an adorable girl( Sia was of Ishit's age), and what happened to him in the library. 

And the most burning question, was it really a trial? Ishit had heard about the trials they gave to an apprentice in academies. None of them involved a novice with no fighting prowess left alone in a world, where every second person wanted to kill him. 

  What was Bhadra's motive to send him to Glassia? 

Ishit shook his head, the questions had to wait until Bhadra got back to Minaak again.

He took the last step and pushed the door open. Ishit stumbled out. The dimly lit corridor was empty. In the flickering light of wall torches, The vivid figurines on the wall stared at him as if surprised to see him there. 

Ishit prayed that he wouldn't have forgotten the maze of stairs and corridors to get out of this evil place. 

Leaning against the black stone wall, he collapsed on the floor to take some rest. His legs were shaking, and going boneless. The sheer will to get away from the druids and the arrow had kept him going so far. The wound on the head was stinging, and so was his scorched calf. His sleepy eyes were burning with blood and sweat. 

Ishit was so tired that his eyes were closing on their own, but he didn't let him sleep. After taking a rest for a few breaths, he picked himself up, and trudged away, dreaming about the cosy bed waiting for him in his chamber. 

Ishit's memory didn't fail him, and after stopping three or four times for a short rest made it to the tower's gate. To his surprise, the gate opened on its own. 

What Ishit didn't notice was the odd behaviour of serpents. They didn't hiss as they usually did, instead, they looked docile, waving their fork tongues. 

It was late morning when Ishit walked out of the dark tower. He took deep breaths,to get rid of the stuffy air of the tower, and soon felt refreshed. 

It was really good to be home again. Even the spooky eroswood trees seemed pleasing to the eyes.

Suddenly Ishit heard a voice and froze in his tracks. 

"Bhadra, are you really taking me inside your tower? I mean you never let me in before." 

Stupefied Ishit saw another Ishit trailing behind Bhadra, and coming towards him. 

"Is it so? As far...You!" Bhadra was startled as soon as his eyes fell on a boy smeared in blood and dust, standing on the stairs of the dark tower. 

In the next moment, Ishit felt his body disintegrating into light's specks. And before he could make out anything of the bizarre incident, he felt a sucking force, then came the whirlpool of memories. He felt his mind churning. Myriads of scenes flashed before him. 

When the torrent subsided, Ishit was able to feel himself again. He found his tattered clothes had disappeared, so had his wounds. Confounded, he was opening and closing his hands, subconsciously checking his head. again and again. His eyes were like saucers. 

"So you failed!" Bhadra's voice broke his stupor.

Wide-eyed, Ishit, with his mouth agape, gaped at the familiar hooded figure, standing before him with the black emblem in his hand. 

It took a while before Ishit could close his slacked jaw, and blink his saucer eyes. However, his thin eyebrows were yet to go down. 

Ishit realised his heart was fluttering like a trapped bird. Bhadra watched him with amusement. Ishit gulp down his dry throat it felt as if he had eaten a dry loaf.  After taking a deep breath, he articulated the question in his authoritative tone, in the voice of a young lord of Minaak. 

"Tell me what this was all about." 

"Could you wait until we are in the tower?" Bhadra said, looking around. 

"No!"  was Ishit's answer. 

Bhadra sighed as he cast a shield around them. He took off his hood, revealing runes covered face. The same face Ishit had seen in Glassia, but it had some extra decoration around the ears, and the colour-changing eyes had been replaced with two olive-green orbs. His black hair was now grizzly. 

"What do you want to know ?" asked Bhadra, looking at his metallic hand. Ishit was sure, it was fine before he entered the chamber. 

"Who are you?"  Though Ishit had heard him in the court of Glassian's king, claiming himself as a death-worshiper. But he doubted even the existence of Glassia now, let alone the things that happened there. 

"Ah! Who.. am I? " The simple question stunned the fowler. He whispered it to himself as if it was the most difficult riddle to answer. 

Ishit didn't interrupt the wizard's reverie. 

"I'm sorry. This question baffles me sometimes  . " the fowler said, feeling embarrassed, " As I yet to find the answer. Anyway, you won't understand at least not until... " Bhadra paused as if recalling something, and then went on"For you, I'm Udolf, a son of Hyde, the great. Or as the world calls a death-worshiper. And before you ask what a wizard is doing here, I need your Meru Tower, and I mean no harm." 

So it was true. All things that happened in Glassia were real. Udolf's reply had raised a storm in Ishit's mind. He kept staring at the man who had escaped the purge of the Evil Lord. Ishit doubted even his father knew his fowler's true identity. 

"Does my father know this?" 

"He knows what he should know. No less and no more. " Udolf replied in an indifferent tone. 

Ishit knew it meant his lord father had no idea whom he had housed ten years ago. 

Ishit took a deep breath and raised the question that had been hunting him all time in Glassia. 

"Now tell me about this trial. I don't want any suta's tale that you served the Glassian king. I need the truth." He said, looking straight into the olive green eyes before him. 

"Ha, so you got me there, too. It explained why Nirvano hadn't feared me when I got back there after my visit to the Living Sea. he must have seen it through. And here I had been thinking all these years that his love for his daughter had made him so bold. I'm really not cut out for weaving tales. " Bhadra chuckled lightly. 

"Boy, you really know how to cause trouble? I sent you there to learn the druid's smithy, not to steal the princess's heart." He said his face beaming with a rare smile, "  As soon as I stepped into Avida, Nirvano encircled me with his furious druids, like a pack of werewolves, threatening me to give away your whereabouts. Of course, I didn't. " Bhadra glanced at Ishit's frowning face.

"I couldn't tell him that the culprit would be born in Minaak two millennia later. so.." 

"I told you, to tell the truth, Udolf. " Ishit solemn voice cut him off. 

"And that's what I'm doing, lad? Truth is not always convincing. You would have seen Nirvano's face when I had told him the truth that you were a time traveller, sent into the past nearly two millennia back. You know what he did. He imprisoned me. " 

"What do you mean? I've just come.." Ishit's eyes widened as the realisation dawned on him. His mind reeled. Suddenly everything made sense.

Seeing Ishit stupefied, Udolf sighed, 

"That was why I didn't tell you before. The nacked truth is not always conceivable. That's where we need tales to fill in the details. The details that would convince our rational minds. Anyway, this is the truth of your so-called trial. It was nothing but an opportunity for you to learn the best weaponry in Mazia, which was lost with the fall of mighty druids.  " 

It took quite an effort from Ishit to calm down. The revelation was not totally inconceivable to him. Not after reading about the mythical divine Astra of Glassia called "Kalachakra" (Wheel of the time).  There was a mention in a scroll about the manipulation of time, however, it needed a deep understanding of "Kala"( time) and a mythical third eye. Ishit had never imagined someone could really do that. He subconsciously glanced at the wizard's forehead. There was no sign of a third eye. 

Then , It must have been the tower. Ishit thought. It also explained why  Udolf was willing to disguise like a lowly fowler, taking orders from his lord father. It was all because of this mysterious tower. 

" You could have told me at the beginning that I had to learn about the forging of divine Astras."Ishit glared at the wizard.  He was feeling stupid now for staying in the village and fighting to the death with Izidor.  If he had known about it, he would have gone to Avida straight and tried to enter into their academy. 

"It was a trial, too." Bhadra said, " Besides, It was not me who had set the conditions.  " 

"Then who did? my father? " 

"No. someone who saved you from death thrice."

"Who?" Ishit didn't remember anyone helping him out in his crisis. 

"I think it is enough for now. "Udolf said, putting on the emblem. "I've answered all your questions. As you didn't hear my tale, so there will be some missing details. It's all your fault, not mine. Now you will go and take a good bath. and by the way, for everyone you never left the castle. "

Ishit stared at the runes covered face. He felt that it was a mask hiding mysteries and truths.

He took a deep breath and decided to leave. The wizard wouldn't tell him anything more. Ishit doubted his so-called trial was so simple. 

Suddenly, Ishit halted in his step. he hesitated for a moment,

"What happened to Princess, Sia?" he asked; 

"Oh! She destroyed Glassia." Udolf said studying his black emblem. The half-opened eye had opened a little more. 

"Why?" 

"How should I know? I haven't visited the cursed land since the last millennium." 

Dear reader ...

A new arch full of adventure and mysteries is on its way. As for the truth about the trial, it will be revealed slowly as Ishit will discover his real identity. It was not an accident that prapti siddhi had brought him here. 

Please leave a comment anything will be appreciated.. I love to hear from you.